Archive Poster : August 2017
When Jesus wanted his listeners to understand how important it was to put his words into actions, he chose to tell a parable...
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (from the gospel of Matthew - ESV translation)
Not everyone ends up building an actual house. But we all have to build a life. Which means, in a world that gets harder and more complicated with each passing year, we need to make wise decisions. Decisions about where it's safe to live, how to earn money, who we can trust to hang out with... and lots and lots of moral decisions. For example, every day there are temptations to lie, steal, slander, be cruel or at least indifferent to someone we can help. And sometimes a terrible test comes along when we least expect it. People have woken up and, without any planning, made split decisions that have landed them in jail... or worse. We can lose our temper in a parking lot or agree to cover up corruption at work.
So, if building a life is like building a house then how do we build wisely? How do we avoid the rain, winds and floods that tear lives apart? Jesus tells us to build our life foundation on his words. When he said this Jesus was concluding the most important and world changing speech of all time - his famous Sermon On The Mount. In it he asks people to be honest with themselves and God. And he challenges people to live their lives to God's high standard. Deep down we know these things are right.
Are you ready to start a fresh building? Considering this magnificent fact may be a help... Jesus willingly went to the cross and sacrificed his life for the sake of the world. It shows us that his words aren't empty. On the contrary - they're solid as a rock.
Prayer. Dear God, help me to start my life afresh with Jesus as my foundation.
Bible. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock". (Matthew 7:24)
