FoundationsSample

Firm Foundation

One thing that always fascinates me about the story Jesus tells in Matthew 7 is that there is no difference in appearance to the houses these men built. The ultimate difference that allowed the buildings to stand or crumble was the foundation - the hidden yet strong-holding element of the build.

A poor foundation is not intentionally built - it is built when we are ignorant of the need for a foundation. Becoming a Christian and humbly accepting our need for Jesus and His grace is our first point of building a solid foundation. We suddenly realize that we need one.

Jesus has said that in this life, we would experience difficult times - or, as the analogy is put in this story, "storms"- but the good news is that Jesus has overcome the world and its storms (John 16:33). But it's these moments that show us on what our foundation is built - and it is why it is so essential to make sure our foundation is firmly built on the rock that is Jesus, the only one who has overcome. Our foundation is what we trust most, where we find purpose and satisfaction.

We can build on one of two foundations:

1. The Sand: These are things of the world that give us happiness for only a moment (essentially anything other than Jesus). Building on the sand can look like relying on money, drugs, alcohol, gossip, people, and many other things as the ultimate source of satisfaction.

2. The Rock: Jesus and His Word, the Bible. We must not only hear the Word but also do it. That's how we build our foundation. Reading the Bible is like reading the instructions for building the foundation - it's useful, but it won't build it. When we put Jesus' words in the Bible into action, we build our foundation on the rock. The Bible is our guide, and we are the ones to put it into action with the help of Jesus and His grace (because we won't do it perfectly!)

When we build on the sand, we can find that purpose and satisfaction for a short while during the sunshine of life, but when the storm comes, we realize that the satisfaction and purpose of those things are fleeting. They are not foundation material. They cannot continually satisfy as the way Jesus can. Even when life gets tough, we can rely on Jesus and His words, His promises in the Bible.

Jesus' overarching point is that we need a foundation for our lives which must be Jesus because nothing else can withstand the tough times life throws at us. When life gets tough, we often depend on other things and build our lives on sand. We give into our fleshly desires and trust in things that only momentarily quench our thirst for satisfaction. But Jesus spoke of a living water, given by him, that will never leave us thirsting again (John 4:1-26).

We build our life's foundation on Jesus by reading the Bible (the Word of God), doing what it says, and actively pursuing Jesus through prayer and community. Jesus loves you and knows you better than anyone - He wants what's best for you, which is found in His Word.

Exercise

Think about your need for a foundation in your life. What have you tried to build on before? How can you practically ensure you build your life upon Jesus daily?