When suffering and disappointments come our way, if our lives are built on the right foundation, we can stand no matter what happens. If they’re not, we won’t. Oh, we may look sturdy while the sun is shining and everything is going our way, but when the winds and rains start pounding down, who we really are is evident. And sometimes, that’s not a very good picture.

If any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:12–15) But consider: Does what you believe really line up with the Word of God? After all, Saul, too, was wholeheartedly convinced he was doing right. That is, until he had a true encounter with Jesus. Yet we must understand that even though Jesus is talking about an outward reality of a building’s foundation, He is also describing an internal truth—the importance of what we base our lives on and who we are on the inside. You don’t know when they’ll happen, but you can be prepared. Jesus promised you so in His Sermon on the Mount. Do you long to know how to persevere no matter what storm rages against you? Do you want to know how to build your life on the right foundation and with the design and materials that will endure? Do you yearn to be so thoroughly convinced of God’s work in your life that you can stand strong—regardless of the challenges or consequences?

Come and meet the risk-takers of the persecuted church

That whoever believes in Him shall . . . have eternal life. Shall have a life that endures—that is counted in eternity.

This powerful book from the bestselling Dr. Charles Stanley outlines key areas of conviction that can make or break who we are and how we live. Whether we are eight years old, forty-eight, or eighty-eight, in the core of our hearts, we don’t want failure to characterize the end of our stories. We don’t want to be known for our worst mistakes and defeats, but for our greatest victories and triumphs.These credentials may not mean too much to people today, but in Paul’s time they meant he was the cream of the crop—an important man who had the respect of those who knew him. He had everything this world says is vital to being significant. We can understand how invigorating this was for him. After all, who doesn’t want to be known for how bright, wealthy, important, powerful, spiritual, or attractive he or she is?

So Paul’s erroneous beliefs (and the acceptance of his fellow Pharisees) were actually weakening him, undermining his life and his relationship with the Lord. He missed the very Messiah God’s Word was pointing to (John 5:39)! We will talk about this in detail in the next chapter. If you’ve just received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’ve made the very best decision you will ever make. There is absolutely nothing more important than having a personal relationship with God. This is the firm foundation that the rest of your life will be built on. You simply cannot have a strong life without Him. Thankfully, now you are on the path to having the resilient and meaningful life you long for. So it is when we “renovate” our lives—we may try to get in shape, improve our health, dress nicer, embellish our résumé, and even become more outwardly religious. We try to impress others with our external qualities. We may also try to mask or diminish our pain, weaknesses, and fears with addictive substances or immoral behavior—hoping that, somehow, they’ll make us more courageous. But they don’t. They undermine our confidence even further. So this is the very first step to having a strong life and an unshakable foundation—having a relationship with God, which can come only through the death of Jesus on the cross. Friend, if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord—trusting in Him alone for your salvation—then you’re not building on the right foundation.I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. (vv. 7–8 NLT; emphasis added) But if we want to have strong lives, we have to do something different from what we’re already doing. As we said in the beginning, it’s not just having a healthy body, a profitable profession, wealth, or significant social standing in your community. It takes something more, something beyond us that nothing can overturn.

Sadly, no matter how attractive a house is, if the foundation isn’t solid, it will fall. This is one of the most important principles any of us will ever learn: Our life must be built on the right foundation. Thankfully, once we accept Christ as our foundation, the right building materials and appropriate techniques will fall into place—if we will truly entrust our entire lives to Him. Of course, you may be thinking, I accepted Jesus a long time ago. I’ve built my life on God, but I still feel weak. Perhaps you have known Christ since you were a small child or grew up in a Christian home and truly believe everything you do has a godly basis.

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This leads us to our second factor in establishing a strong life, which is building it with the right methods and materials. All the while, we know that we actually need to replace the foundation and fix those things deep within us that are broken. But that is much more costly, and we wonder if anyone would even notice if we made the sacrifices to improve. Because the truth of the matter is that we are living in an age when taking Scripture seriously is becoming rarer and rarer. Some Christian leaders distance themselves from the Bible and turn to empty ideas and theories, sanctioning behavior that the Word of God condemns. Trust me, in the eight decades I have been alive, I have seen more church-building fads and philosophies come and go than I can count. Only one source has stood the test of time, and that is the Word of God. Because the truth of the matter is, it usually isn’t when we’re feeling tough and confident that we go looking for books on standing strong. It’s not when we’re secure and assured that we need encouragement. Rather, it’s when the future is unsure. We become aware that we might not be as successful as we thought, and we long to know how to make it through—and how to do so well. It’s when the burdens get heavy, the challenges we face seem impossible, or the obstacles that stare at us from the horizon appear overwhelming. That’s when we realize that we are in danger of being less than we’d hoped to be or, worse, failing altogether. That’s when we reach out for wisdom about how to stand. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. (vv. 4–6 NLT)