Build With Care
READ
In Corinth, there was division. Some said, "I follow Paul!" Others claimed, "I follow Apollos!" Still others, "I follow Peter!" The church was fracturing along the lines of preferred leaders and teaching styles. Sound familiar? Today, we splinter over worship styles, theological distinctives, charismatic leaders, and trendy methodologies.
Let’s take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 3:10-11:
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
REFLECT
Paul writes to the church in Corinth with the authority of a master builder: Notice Paul's careful language. He didn't invent the foundation—he laid it. Like a construction foreman who carefully prepares the ground and pours the concrete according to precise specifications, Paul established churches on the only foundation that can support eternal weight: Jesus Christ Himself.
Paul's response cuts through all of it: there's only one foundation that matters. You can build a ministry on a gifted preacher, but what happens when that preacher moves or falls? You can build on emotional worship experiences, but what sustains people when feelings fade? You can build on relevant programming, but trends shift like sand. Only Jesus Christ provides a foundation that will not crack under pressure.
Think about what this means practically. Every time we interact with another believer, we're building. Every conversation where we point someone to Jesus, every act of sacrificial love, every moment of forgiveness, every prayer offered for a struggling brother or sister—we're adding to the structure. Paul's warning is urgent: "Each one should build with care." We can use gold, silver, and costly stones—materials that endure testing. Or we can use wood, hay, and straw—materials that look impressive but won't survive fire.
What makes the difference? Whether we're building people up in Christ or building around something lesser. Are we discipling others to know Jesus deeply, or just trying to get them to conform to our preferences? Are we loving people because of Christ in us, or keeping them at arm's length when they're messy and inconvenient? Are we speaking truth in love that helps others grow, or gossipping and tearing down the body?
The beauty of Christ as foundation is His sufficiency. You don't need to add to Him or improve upon Him. A person rooted in Christ can weather any storm. A community centered on Christ can navigate any conflict. A fellowship built on Christ will endure when everything else falls away. Just Christ. Fully known, faithfully proclaimed, consistently followed.
This is both liberating and sobering. Liberating because we're freed from the exhausting work of trying to fix everyone or control outcomes. We don't have to be anyone's savior—that position is filled. If Christ is truly our foundation, we can trust Him to do the transforming work. We simply get to participate in what He's already doing in people's lives.
But it's sobering because it means we're accountable for how we build. One day, Paul says, our work will be tested by fire. What survives that testing will be rewarded. What burns up reveals wasted effort—relationships built on flattery rather than truth, influence achieved through manipulation, community held together by personality rather than by Christ.
Peter's confession in Matthew 16—"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"—becomes the answer to every challenge the church faces. Who do we turn to in crisis? Christ. What message do we proclaim? Christ. Whom do we follow? Christ. There is no other foundation.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Looking at your own church involvement, what are you building with—materials that will endure testing or materials that look good but won't last?
In what ways might you be tempted to build your life on something other than Christ? What does it look like practically to keep Him as your foundation?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Lord Jesus, You are the only foundation that can bear the weight of Your Church. Forgive me when I'm tempted to build on lesser things—personalities, preferences, or programs. Give me wisdom to build carefully, using materials that honor You and will endure testing. Help me to root everything—my identity, my community, my purpose—in the reality of who You are and what You've done. Amen.