How to Replace Faulty Foundations

Just about every internal issue you have today as a man indicates you’ve built your "manhood home" on a faulty masculine foundation.

It could be you're angry about your past or with where you are at this stage of life, which causes you to emotionally, verbally, or physically abuse those around you.

Perhaps your substance addiction has taken you farther than you expected down a self destructive path and you see no light at the end of the tunnel.

According to the latest statistics, it’s highly probable you live with a secret sexual sin that has you convinced isolation, loneliness, and shame are the norm.

All of these thoughts are false and meant to keep you from tapping into the greatness that lies within.

It’s most likely the result of someone laying a faulty foundation in your mind. Maybe it's the lack of a relationship with your father or you were abused as a kid. Although you're not to blame for foundations laid by others in your early development, you are responsible to do the hard work of removing and replacing the faulty foundational areas.

When you became a new creature in Christ, you were given the ability to think differently. A new way of thinking. Your mind’s eye was open to a new passions and sense of purpose greater than yourself. You're able to take thoughts captive and transform or renovate your mind daily. However, it all starts with the removal of wrong thought processes and replacing them with ones that can sustain the weight of what God wants to build in you.

In a previous life I was a professional home builder. At one particular home, as we began digging the foundation, we came across an old wooden underground cellar that had obviously been there for many years. Its location was right in the front corner of this multi-million dollar home. If left alone, it could cause major problems in the future. If removed, it would leave a substantial hole that would have to be filled with compacted stone and concrete. The cost would be a considerable blow to the budget and would extend the time frame of the project. Although it was painful, we moved forward in removing and replacing. As a matter of hindsight, what we viewed as a major hindrance become the strongest area of the foundation and anchored the rest of the home.

So it is with you. When you remove old thought patterns and replace them with the right thoughts, you can begin to build your life on a strong foundation that will withstand the storms of life. In other words, what the enemy meant for harm, God uses as the cornerstone of our testimony.

For example, when you think “I can’t overcome this sin or the temptation is too strong,” you replace that thought with Romans 8:37-39:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ore height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When you feel you don’t have the self control to stop sinning, replace that wrong way of thinking with Galatians 5:22-24:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

When you feel isolated, alone and no one understands, replace that wrong thought with Hebrews 4:15:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

For every area of wrong thinking, God's word gives us the correct way. By doing the hard work of removing and replacing, we begin to transform our minds with a sustainable material that strengthens our spiritual foundation.

Let's move beyond blaming others for where we are and get to work renovating our mind in order to get where we're going.

You're destiny patiently awaits you!

Fear Not, Fight Well.

JT McCraw is the men’s pastor at Bethel World Outreach in Brentwood, TN and the founder of the BE MEN Movement, where he provides oversight for this multi-ethnic, multi-site men’s ministry, focusing on engaging and equipping men to serve Christ. Presently they have locations in Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Alabama and Arizona. JT lives in Franklin, TN with his wife of twenty-four years and their five children. You can follow JT on Twitter @jtmccraw.