Below the Water Line

Gordon MacDonald tells the story of how the Brooklyn Bridge remains a major transportation artery in New York City today, because over 100 years ago, the chief engineer and his construction team did their most patient and daring work where no one could see it…on the foundations of the towers below the water line. It is one more illustration of an ageless principle in life: the work done below the water line will determine whether what we do will stand the test of time. Spiritually, this work is called worship, devotion and a variety of spiritual disciplines. It's done in quiet, where no one but God sees. Think about it. We may be blessed with great natural skills and charisma but remain vulnerable to a collapse in our character, our key relationships and our ministries if we’ve never learned that we can’t build above the water line until there is a substantial foundation below it. A re-read of the life of Moses is a great example of this. This man spent 80 years preparing for his more visible work. MacDonald goes on to say that the test of a person is less what we accomplish before 45 years of age and more what happens after. He calls it sustainability. The key is to last and grow stronger, wiser and more focused with the years. In Ephesians 2:19-20, Paul writes, “You are God’s people and members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Is your trust in your “foundation” strong enough to sustain you? Is what you’re building today, being built to last? Is Jesus Christ solidified as the immovable, primary cornerstone in your life?