A Firm Foundation Is More Than a Song
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ”
I regularly encourage high schoolers and their parents to discuss the young person's goals, dreams, faith, and other aspects of life that will provide a foundation for their future. On a purely financial level, if a young person does not have a strong foundation, with clear direction, college can take longer, and the student will struggle more to find their area of study. They may flounder in frustration, and professors will not commit time and energy to their growth if they have not known them as long because they have floated from major to major.
On a deeper level, a lack of preparation for the stage after high school leaves the student vulnerable to self-doubt. A young adult today has more to ponder than previous generations. Technology is changing the occupational landscape quickly. What people go to college for today becomes obsolete tomorrow. This week, I skimmed an article about careers in accounting becoming obsolete. Artificial Intelligence and third-world accounting with much lower wages are bringing an end to this lucrative profession. What else will transition in the coming years?
Guiding the development of a young person's life will help them value what is essential in life and give them the confidence to adjust to life's increased pace and complexity. In "Build the foundation first," Scott H. Young encourages us to recognize that "Our foundations cannot be outsourced." We must do the challenging work of creating and nurturing our firm foundation. Then, we must guide and support our children's foundations' creation and nurturing support. Next, Young calls us to recognize that "Foundations need to be thought of holistically, rather than one-at-a-time."
The foundations within the firm foundation include our interests, values, what we define as integrity, and what we love. But most of all, our firm foundation begins and ends with our faithful belief system. Do I believe in God? Who is this God I believe in? How does this God provide support to me and our world? What does God expect from me? God's church offers avenues for the faithful to put the pieces of their belief and value systems together into one firm foundation. Finally, the foundation, according to Scott Young, requires time and energy to fit new interests and wisdom into the foundation's core. Daily prayer invites God into your firm foundation's ever-expanding and strengthening core.
