Don't skip this step in your walk with God

Vincent Bujor
September 10, 2026

Dont skip this step

“See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”

Jeremiah 1:10

How do you build the world’s tallest skyscraper in the middle of a desert? I remember standing at the base of the Burj Khalifa, almost unable to see its 2,717-foot peak. It is a fascinating piece of architecture. And its success comes from something most people never see.

That tower sits on 192 concrete piles, drilled 15 stories into the ground. Those piles are anchored in a massive raft foundation. 110,000 metric tons of concrete protect the tower from Dubai’s salty groundwater. The foundation really mattered when the tallest skyscraper was built.

Do you have a solid foundation?

When God called Jeremiah to preach to the people of Judah, He told him to “root out and throw down” before he could “build and plant.” What doesn’t sound very positive or encouraging is actually the very first and probably most neglected step of our spiritual walk: to lay a sure foundation. How? By making a thorough work of repentance.

When it comes to following Jesus, many of us make fast decisions and think, “I can still work on my issues later.” But when the first trial comes, we get overwhelmed and fall. Some of us never get back up.

The deeper and more thorough your foundation though, the higher and faster you can build. It is expensive at first. It might even hurt. But it pays off. It is what brings you through the storms of life.

So how do I lay a deep foundation?

What does it mean to repent?

True repentance means to feel real sorrow and remorse for sin. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “blessed are those who mourn” that condition, Jesus said. It all starts with the realization that my own sins offended a holy God. My own choices have nailed Jesus to the cross. Repentance means to search my heart and honestly examine all my motives and secret sins. I need to set aside all pride and self-justification. And instead of excusing old choices or shifting the blame on others, I acknowledge my guilt and confess it to God.

Then, I pray and ask for forgiveness. I humble myself. Fasting might also be appropriate to hear God’s voice. “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:9-10).

How do I know it’s for real?

“By their fruits you shall know them,” Jesus said. Your own character and behavior will actually reveal it. You’ll notice a new determination to fight against sin and gain the victory over wrong habits. You’ll realize that the things you once hated you now love, and the stuff you once loved you now hate. You’ll feel a desire to reconcile with others and make things right. I remember texting people from high school years later and paying money back to an organization that never knew I had stolen from them.

You’ll discover Jesus’ love in your own heart. You’ll love those who don’t deserve it. All of that is evidence of a true conversion and a solid spiritual foundation.

“The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’”

Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 641

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Tagged faith, foundation, reformation, repentance, revival