Foundational knowledge.  We all have it whether we realize it or not.  Foundational knowledge is the facts about life that we believe to be utterly true; consequently, we always fall back on them.  These facts are the things that compel all our actions.  They shape who we are and the way we live.  Sometimes, this life basis is filled with truth and righteousness, such as that you are a daughter of the King and nothing can separate you from His love.  Yet, foundational knowledge is often cramped full of unnecessary, filthy baggage.  Maybe your's is an underlying belief that everyone is better than you and you need to be beautiful to be accepted.  Some might not clearly know what their foundational knowledge consists of because they've never taken time to dig deeper into their heart.  I don't know what kind of foundational knowledge you are living off of, but I have written below some foundational truths drawn straight from the Bible that I hope will help you.

I am currently taking a class on "becoming a woman of excellence."  During one of the class periods, we talked about some things that I believe can be classified as foundational knowledge.  From the notes of what the teacher said during class, I reiterated the some of the information below.

Christians aim to know God.  To get to know God, we can study His Word and find out about His character.  Well, when we truly acknowledge the grandness and magnitude of His character, we will be swept off our feet by His faithfulness, grace, promises, love, power etc. (honestly, this list could go on forever!).  Because of these truths about Him, it seems that the next, most obvious thing to do is to trust Him with all that we are and to continually surrender our will for His.  He loves us oh so personally and wants us to experience Him in every aspect of our lives.  So why are we holding back?!  Let's declare our allegiance with Him and devote ourselves to giving Him praise always!  Chose to make your foundational knowledge the truths of the Bible including the reality of Jesus, His love, and His promises.  This choice will shake your world.

Solid, foundational truth about . . .

Yourself:

Being created by the marvelous God gives you all the self-worth you'll ever need!  Knowing that God Himself gave you the physical appearance and personality traits you have, you should feel confident and blessed!  The need to compare yourself should seem meaningless since you know that God, the author of the universe, creates masterpieces.  And the fact is, He created you.  Praise Him!

If you are a born again Christian, God's Spirit dwells within you.  Unfortunately, although you have the Holy Spirit in you, you still have your old selfish desires.  Because of this, you have a choice of how to live.  You can  a) choose to walk in the Spirit by following where God leads  -  or -  b) gratify the desires of your flesh.  This choice is why we are constantly in a spiritual battle.  What you choose will effect everything you do, everyone you talk to, and every decision you make.  But remember, your only responsibility is to choose God's way; then, He will provide the strength from there.

God:

For right now just remember this one thing: He loves you.  No matter how many times you mess it up, He still loves you.  Next time you are tempted to be consumed with depression or self-hatred and misery because of continual failure, stop and say out loud "But He love me."  Let that reality sink deep into your heart as you embrace the truth.  When you are repeatedly tempted to be overwhelmed, say that for a week and see how it impacts your mood and your life.  Frankly, the fact is His love will never, ever change.

Oh that was so very brief!!  But, it provided some foundational, practical truths that you should know first thing from this blog's start.  As time progresses, I will go into these topics (and many, many more!) in adequate depth.

For now, start thinking, praying, and journaling about what your foundational knowledge consists of and what in it might need to change.

Never lose hope in the Lord.