In the Final Analysis

Can you feel it? Spring is in the air! The trees are budding, bulb flowers are blooming and temperatures are forecasted to be in the ‘70’s by midweek. I just love this time of the year. It is as if the entire natural world is yawning and stretching, getting ready to display proof of the growth that has been occurring all winter beneath the soil. Their root system has been growing deeper and wider, securing their foundations and the needed resources to support this new growth. This foundation will be the basis for determining how they will fair when the storms of spring come roaring through. Now that the time has come, it's show time!

Sleep for a human is much like winter for plants. It is part of our natural, biological cycle. For each hour that we are awake and functioning, our bodies require a certain amount of sleep. It is during this sleep, or rest period, that our bodies repair the damage that has occurred during our waking hours. This time of rest lays the foundation that we will function from tomorrow. If we don't get that sleep, we are sluggish - slow to react, both physically and mentally. Our immune system also suffers and our appetite can too. Sleep is just one part of this foundation that our body uses to support our waking life. If there is an insufficient foundation, we are in danger of falling when hard times come. We will burn up when the fire and trials come our way, in the final analysis, our reward will be small.

In this portion of Scripture, Paul also speaks of foundations. As a missionary, a divine messenger, Paul was laying a firm foundation for the future spiritual life of these Christians. He brings to our attention, that as the builder, he is not responsible for the end result of their lives. Only God can bear such a responsibility, he is only responsible for that portion that he has been allotted, that is laying the foundation.

One of the first words that I chose out of this text to dig into was “laborers”. This word caught my eye because it would reveal a sense of what is expected. Look with me at the definition for this word from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

This definition brought to my mind the beginning. God always tells us what is expected of us in the beginning, the beginning of everything we are asked to do. At all times we are expected to trust Him. This must be the foundation of EVERYTHING that we do. We need that simple, childlike faith that will see us through to the end. By searching the Scriptures we can find clues to what we can expect during our journey. We are not given all of the answers, just enough light for the next step. We are not asked to have all the wisdom of the world or fine sounding arguments, just faith in Jesus.

I would like to draw our analogies a little closer to home for parents and educators. In the beginning, God gave us a promise, a warning if you will, about what to expect. God gave the promise below to Adam and Eve, the first farmers and parents.

Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

The point I would like to make from this verse is that God never promised us that our job would be easy. He told us from the very beginning that it would be hard work. Only for God, are children as moldable as lumps of clay. For us, often times, they are as hard and unyielding as the ground during a drought. But still we have our commission, plant that soil, build that foundation. We still must be as faithful as a farmer to break up that ground every spring, when the ground begins to warm, and plant the seeds of the gospel. We still have to lay on piece after piece of that foundation, no matter what Satan may throw our way.

By the very definition, we are told that a laborers work is toilsome. I believe the season we have just passed through proves that point. Especially during the latter days of winter, our jobs truly became toilsome. Even so, as true laborers for Christ we have risen to the challenge and “done all to the glory of God.”

Another interesting term from this verse is husbandry. For one who lives on a farm this term is a familiar one. Animal husbandry is the very life of a farmer. But as a parent you are also in the husbandry business, you just never thought to call it by this name. The definition for husbandry revealed some very interesting points. Look at this:

HUS'BANDRY, n. The business of a farmer, comprehending agriculture or tillage of the ground, the raising, managing and fattening of cattle and other domestic animals, the management of the dairy and whatever the land produces.

There is a parable of Jesus that speaks of sowing seeds. The parable is called, “The Parable of the Sower.” It can be found in Matthew 13 or Luke 8. I encourage you to look this up and read it with this in mind; parents are the sower and children are the soil that seeds fall into. After the sower left the field, it was up to the soil what it did with the seed. Certainly our Dear Lord already knows the outcome and the condition of the soil. To go one step further, He knows how the fruit of this seed and soil will come through the fire. Which brings me back to our text.

There is a vast sea out there of texts that strive to guide parents in this sacred task of laying the foundations that our children will build upon. Paul said, “…I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” In these early years we are only responsible for the foundation. We must, of necessity, make sure the foundation that we are giving our children is firm, sure and steadfast.

Nowhere in Scripture are we told that we are responsible for what another builds on this foundation. As individuals we will stand before God and answer for what WE did with this man called Jesus. Each one of us came into life not by the will of man, but by the will of

God. (John 1:13) His plan was written for us before we were even one day old. This applies to our children too! In order to prepare our children for the calling He has for them, we must be diligent in pray and lay godly habits that will serve them well their whole life.

What are these habits? The first foundational habits that we must build into our children are attention and obedience. Every action and every other habit are built on these two. You can't secure their obedience until that learn to pay attention. They won't learn to pay attention until they are obedient to your call. The same holds true for the spiritual life. How can they remain true to the promptings of the Holy Spirit unless we have taught them to pay attention, to listen to their conscience, and to obey? If they won't obey their parents, why would they obey someone they can't see, hear or touch? Children are very concrete thinkers. The abstract concepts don't sink in until much later. That is why discipline must be firm in the early years, action and reaction, cause and effect, that is what they understand. If I do this, Mommy will do thus!

A valuable lesson that can be taught on the foundation of the other two is the habit of searching the Scriptures for guidance. This lesson is best taught by example. Another is service. Again, this lesson is best taught by example. Jesus portrayed both of these habits to us during His time on earth. Scripture and service directed his whole life. Can you imagine the magnitude of the fruit we would produce if we could just develop these two habits? This is the fruit that will last, this is the gold, silver, and precious stones!

As our daily life plays out, it becomes evident what kind of structure has been built on our foundation. Each one is responsible for their own building. Are we building our structure according to the dictates of the world? The Bible teaches that such wisdom is foolishness with God and that we are God's building. How does the world tell you to teach your children? Did it work when they were in traditional school? No! Will it work at home? Probably not. But what will work is taking the wisdom of God, the wisdom that He will supply freely to whomever will ask, (James 1:5) and apply it in the teaching of our children. This will bring the fruit that will come through the fire.

One final thing, when you stand before God for final judgment, you will not be judged for what your child's life has become. Our passage of Scripture clearly reveals this important fact.

1 Corinthians 3:12-14, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

The reward we receive will not be for what someone else does with the gospel. No, our reward is not for how our children turn out, but how we strove to guide them, what kind of foundation that we laid. The battle is not ours, but the Lord's. Our reward will be for how we fulfilled that task we were given. We are not to save our children, just sow the Word. The farmer cannot make the crop grow, just till the soil and plant the seed. The growth is the responsibility of the Lord. A farmer can no more make a plant sprout than he can dictate what type of fruit is will produce. Only God decides these things. It is not through human wisdom that such things are determined.

Have you provided your children, this building you are working on, a firm foundation? I know the enemy has fought you every step of the way. But, just as Jesus told the disciples, shake the dust off of your shoes and move on! (Matthew 10:14)

Have you given them the tools they will need to complete the building? The tools of learning and life are in your hands. Some of these tools are habits and some of them are the fruits of those habits. This cannot be accomplished in just one year, so give yourself a break.

Learning, as well as habit training, is a process. If you have ever built a house you know it can seem to take forever, there will be times that you will despair that it will ever be completed. When you are down and feeling like a failure, talk to a mom that has already come through this stage. There is a un-mined source of wisdom just waiting for you.

As you look back and evaluate this school year, remember the good days and the successes. Analyze those days, figure out what made it so good and seek to replicate those days. Jesus said, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad!” Don't dwell on the frustrating days, that is just Satan's discouragement you hear. Yes, there are lessons to be learned there, but don't allow them to become a tool to destroy you. We all have those days, now move on! In the final analysis, yes Lord, we have had a great year!

This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication please contact Jessie and Mary Woodis at jessiew@hiwaay.net for permission and more details.


	Crooked Pines Ministries \| home back to Articles by Mary E. Woodis In the Final Analysis In the Final Analysis By: Mary E. Woodis Background passage: 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 18-23 Key verse: 1 Corinthians 3:14 Can you feel it? Spring is in the air! The trees are budding, bulb flowers are blooming and temperatures are forecasted to be in the ‘70’s by midweek. I just love this time of the year. It is as if the entire natural world is yawning and stretching, getting ready to display proof of the growth that has been occurring all winter beneath the soil. Their root system has been growing deeper and wider, securing their foundations and the needed resources to support this new growth. This foundation will be the basis for determining how they will fair when the storms of spring come roaring through. Now that the time has come, it's show time! A Strong Foundation, A Source for Beginnings Sleep for a human is much like winter for plants. It is part of our natural, biological cycle. For each hour that we are awake and functioning, our bodies require a certain amount of sleep. It is during this sleep, or rest period, that our bodies repair the damage that has occurred during our waking hours. This time of rest lays the foundation that we will function from tomorrow. If we don't get that sleep, we are sluggish - slow to react, both physically and mentally. Our immune system also suffers and our appetite can too. Sleep is just one part of this foundation that our body uses to support our waking life. If there is an insufficient foundation, we are in danger of falling when hard times come. We will burn up when the fire and trials come our way, in the final analysis, our reward will be small. In this portion of Scripture, Paul also speaks of foundations. As a missionary, a divine messenger, Paul was laying a firm foundation for the future spiritual life of these Christians. He brings to our attention, that as the builder, he is not responsible for the end result of their lives. Only God can bear such a responsibility, he is only responsible for that portion that he has been allotted, that is laying the foundation. 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” (KJV) One of the first words that I chose out of this text to dig into was “laborers”. This word caught my eye because it would reveal a sense of what is expected. Look with me at the definition for this word from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary: LA'BORER, n. One who labors in a toilsome occupation; a man who does work that requires little skill, as distinguished from an artisan. This definition brought to my mind the beginning. God always tells us what is expected of us in the beginning, the beginning of everything we are asked to do. At all times we are expected to trust Him. This must be the foundation of EVERYTHING that we do. We need that simple, childlike faith that will see us through to the end. By searching the Scriptures we can find clues to what we can expect during our journey. We are not given all of the answers, just enough light for the next step. We are not asked to have all the wisdom of the world or fine sounding arguments, just faith in Jesus. I would like to draw our analogies a little closer to home for parents and educators. In the beginning, God gave us a promise, a warning if you will, about what to expect. God gave the promise below to Adam and Eve, the first farmers and parents. Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” The point I would like to make from this verse is that God never promised us that our job would be easy. He told us from the very beginning that it would be hard work. Only for God, are children as moldable as lumps of clay. For us, often times, they are as hard and unyielding as the ground during a drought. But still we have our commission, plant that soil, build that foundation. We still must be as faithful as a farmer to break up that ground every spring, when the ground begins to warm, and plant the seeds of the gospel. We still have to lay on piece after piece of that foundation, no matter what Satan may throw our way. By the very definition, we are told that a laborers work is toilsome. I believe the season we have just passed through proves that point. Especially during the latter days of winter, our jobs truly became toilsome. Even so, as true laborers for Christ we have risen to the challenge and “done all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” (KJV) Parents in the business of Husbandry Another interesting term from this verse is husbandry. For one who lives on a farm this term is a familiar one. Animal husbandry is the very life of a farmer. But as a parent you are also in the husbandry business, you just never thought to call it by this name. The definition for husbandry revealed some very interesting points. Look at this: HUS'BANDRY, n. The business of a farmer, comprehending agriculture or tillage of the ground, the raising, managing and fattening of cattle and other domestic animals, the management of the dairy and whatever the land produces. 1. Frugality; domestic economy; good management; thrift. But in this sense we generally prefix good; as good husbandry. 2. Care of domestic affairs. There is a parable of Jesus that speaks of sowing seeds. The parable is called, “The Parable of the Sower.” It can be found in Matthew 13 or Luke 8. I encourage you to look this up and read it with this in mind; parents are the sower and children are the soil that seeds fall into. After the sower left the field, it was up to the soil what it did with the seed. Certainly our Dear Lord already knows the outcome and the condition of the soil. To go one step further, He knows how the fruit of this seed and soil will come through the fire. Which brings me back to our text. There is a vast sea out there of texts that strive to guide parents in this sacred task of laying the foundations that our children will build upon. Paul said, “…I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” In these early years we are only responsible for the foundation. We must, of necessity, make sure the foundation that we are giving our children is firm, sure and steadfast. Incorporating Godly Habits Nowhere in Scripture are we told that we are responsible for what another builds on this foundation. As individuals we will stand before God and answer for what WE did with this man called Jesus. Each one of us came into life not by the will of man, but by the will of God. (John 1:13) His plan was written for us before we were even one day old. This applies to our children too! In order to prepare our children for the calling He has for them, we must be diligent in pray and lay godly habits that will serve them well their whole life. What are these habits? The first foundational habits that we must build into our children are attention and obedience. Every action and every other habit are built on these two. You can't secure their obedience until that learn to pay attention. They won't learn to pay attention until they are obedient to your call. The same holds true for the spiritual life. How can they remain true to the promptings of the Holy Spirit unless we have taught them to pay attention, to listen to their conscience, and to obey? If they won't obey their parents, why would they obey someone they can't see, hear or touch? Children are very concrete thinkers. The abstract concepts don't sink in until much later. That is why discipline must be firm in the early years, action and reaction, cause and effect, that is what they understand. If I do this, Mommy will do thus! Searching the Scriptures for Guidance A valuable lesson that can be taught on the foundation of the other two is the habit of searching the Scriptures for guidance. This lesson is best taught by example. Another is service. Again, this lesson is best taught by example. Jesus portrayed both of these habits to us during His time on earth. Scripture and service directed his whole life. Can you imagine the magnitude of the fruit we would produce if we could just develop these two habits? This is the fruit that will last, this is the gold, silver, and precious stones! As our daily life plays out, it becomes evident what kind of structure has been built on our foundation. Each one is responsible for their own building. Are we building our structure according to the dictates of the world? The Bible teaches that such wisdom is foolishness with God and that we are God's building. How does the world tell you to teach your children? Did it work when they were in traditional school? No! Will it work at home? Probably not. But what will work is taking the wisdom of God, the wisdom that He will supply freely to whomever will ask, (James 1:5) and apply it in the teaching of our children. This will bring the fruit that will come through the fire. One final thing, when you stand before God for final judgment, you will not be judged for what your child's life has become. Our passage of Scripture clearly reveals this important fact. 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” The Reward for Parental Stewardship The reward we receive will not be for what someone else does with the gospel. No, our reward is not for how our children turn out, but how we strove to guide them, what kind of foundation that we laid. The battle is not ours, but the Lord's. Our reward will be for how we fulfilled that task we were given. We are not to save our children, just sow the Word. The farmer cannot make the crop grow, just till the soil and plant the seed. The growth is the responsibility of the Lord. A farmer can no more make a plant sprout than he can dictate what type of fruit is will produce. Only God decides these things. It is not through human wisdom that such things are determined. So, as we come to the end of this school year, how do you measure up? Have you been true to your calling this year? Jesus told us: Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Have you provided your children, this building you are working on, a firm foundation? I know the enemy has fought you every step of the way. But, just as Jesus told the disciples, shake the dust off of your shoes and move on! (Matthew 10:14) Have you given them the tools they will need to complete the building? The tools of learning and life are in your hands. Some of these tools are habits and some of them are the fruits of those habits. This cannot be accomplished in just one year, so give yourself a break. Learning, as well as habit training, is a process. If you have ever built a house you know it can seem to take forever, there will be times that you will despair that it will ever be completed. When you are down and feeling like a failure, talk to a mom that has already come through this stage. There is a un-mined source of wisdom just waiting for you. The Perspective of Evaluation As you look back and evaluate this school year, remember the good days and the successes. Analyze those days, figure out what made it so good and seek to replicate those days. Jesus said, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad!” Don't dwell on the frustrating days, that is just Satan's discouragement you hear. Yes, there are lessons to be learned there, but don't allow them to become a tool to destroy you. We all have those days, now move on! In the final analysis, yes Lord, we have had a great year! This article is copyrighted by Mary E. Woodis. If you would like to print this article in whole or part in your publication please contact Jessie and Mary Woodis at jessiew@hiwaay.net for permission and more details. Back to the top Page last updated February 2003