Foundation of your life---built on rock or sand?

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 use 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?