Matthew 7:24-27
(NIV)
Therefore everyone
who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who
built his house on the rock. The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine
and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house
on sand. The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash.
This parable concludes Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount. You would think that the
conclusion of Jesus’ longest recorded sermon demands our closest
attention. I used this story in my
pre-marital counseling to help to-be-wed couples realize that the strength and
longevity of their marriage depends on the foundation of their relationship. In marriage, as in life itself, storms will
come. Note that the storms Jesus is
talking about come from above (rain), below (streams), and on all sides
(wind). Storms of life can hit us very
hard from all sides. If our lives are
not grounded firmly in the faith of Christ, we have the foundation of sand and
we will collapse. Lives based on the
foundation of rock can overcome any storm(s) that attacks. Storms reveal our lives’ foundation.
What is the foundation of rock? Jesus says that rock is putting into practice
His words. It is not simply hearing His
words, but putting action behind the words.
Jesus often used the phrase “He who has ears, let him hear”. What He meant here is that He knew people
heard His words, but are they really listening to the point of acting upon His
words. That’s a common problem for all
of us. Most sincere Christian people
desire to practice what they learn from the Bible via preaching, teaching, and
personal study. Yet, often our "spirit
is willing, but the flesh is weak”.
What kind of house have you built in your life? The house built is based on the decisions you
make. For example, do you seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) or do you seek first your
own selfish desires? The former is a
house built on rock, the latter is a house built on sand. Actually, Luke 6:48 suggests that both houses are built on sand but one house is dug deeper and its foundation based on rock. As long as the storms are absent, your life
is just fine. But, sooner or later the
storms come and they can be vicious. You
know what storms of life are like---significant loss (death, health, divorce,
job, possessions, security, etc), various crises (financial, family, illness,
relationships, war, etc), various emotional, mental and spiritual battles
(addictions, doubt, fear, anger, failure, etc), and so forth. Have the decisions you have made in your life
given you a foundation of faith and strength to face these storms and overcome
them or given you a foundation of weakness and uncertainty that will result in
a great crash? Give serious thought and
take serious action to make necessary changes to better assure yourself that
your decisions from now on will provide a foundation of rock for the rest of
your life.
David Brinkley once said, “A successful person
is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him
or her”.
The great coach John Wooden once said "The true test of a man's
character is what he does when no one is watching." The taller and greater is the building, the
deeper is its foundation. What is the basis
of the foundation of your life?
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