The most important aspect of any building is its foundation. While the outside of a building may look nice, if it doesn’t have a solid foundation, the building will not stand. Our lives, much like those buildings, also require a firm foundation. Today, allow the Holy Spirit to show you the importance of building your life on the right kind of foundation while also showing you some ways that you can strengthen the foundation that your life is built upon.
Matthew 7:24-27 (TPT)
“Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who build his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the floods came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation. But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away.”
It’s no secret that Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter. Undoubtedly, Jesus grew up around tools and construction. Perhaps that’s why He was able to speak so specifically about the importance of building our lives on the right kind of foundations. No, we don’t know what Joseph specialized in, but we do know that he was a man who knew how to build. Perhaps, Jesus thought back to watching his earthly father work in carpentry inspired this parable.
There is a lot to unpack in these four verses from Christ’s message to His followers. First of all, take note of the fact that Jesus didn’t say that simply hearing (or reading) His Word is enough. He specifically said, “Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation.” Reading your Bible is important. However, it’s vital that you also take the steps necessary to apply those words to Your life. The process of applying those words are the most important aspect of building your life on a firm foundation.
The second person discussed in Christ’s parable wasn’t someone who had never heard or read the teachings of Christ. Instead, it was someone who had heard His teachings, but did not apply them to his own life. This only furthers the importance of not only knowing the Word, but knowing how to apply the Word to our own lives.
Secondly, look at the storm that hit the two homes that are discussed in the parable. The rains fell, the floods rose, and the winds and waves battered both properties from the sides. That means that both homes that Christ discussed were completely engulfed by the storm. Rains fell from above, flood waters rose from beneath, and every side was battered by waves and wind.
Have you ever felt like your life was completely engulfed by the storms of life? Have you ever felt like that no matter where you looked that there was just more storm? If so, you already know the importance of having the right kind of foundation.
In addition to the size of the storm, look at the consistency of the storm. The first man, the one who heard and applied the teachings of Christ to his own life faced the same storm that the person who didn’t apply the teachings of Christ faced.
There is a dangerous false teaching that is becoming more and more prominent that tells us that if we give our lives to Christ, we will no longer face hardships. Not only is this idea theologically unsound, but it also causes people to doubt their faith when they’re faced with difficulty. The storm in Christ’s parable struck the disciple and the non-disciple in the same way. Being a child of God does not preclude us from hardship. Instead, it gives us access to the kind of foundation that we need in order to withstand the storm.
Finally, once we’ve established the size of the storm and the fact that it hits everyone, we can focus on the foundation that must be established in order to withstand those storms.
The funny thing about foundations is that they’re the most important part of any building, but you never see them. If you’ve never worked in construction or carpentry, you may not realize the amount of work that goes into setting up a sturdy foundation. When you pass by a newly constructed home, you may see the brick exterior, the beautiful landscaping, or the aesthetically pleasing roof. What you don’t see is the hours and hours of work that went into making sure that the home was able to stand.
Before a home can be built, the builders must dig down into the earth to prepare the foundation. A home that is just built on the top level of ground won’t be able to endure any type of storms. Once deep footers are dug out, concrete can begin to be poured. A thin layer of concrete won’t suffice in holding up a home, so the concrete must be incredibly thick.
In the same way, surface level Christianity (hearing the words of Christ but not applying them) wont’ equip you to withstand the storms of life. Instead, we must “dig deep” so we can put together a strong, sturdy foundation. According to this parable, the most important part of a sturdy foundation is found in applying God’s Word to our lives. Before we conclude today’s study, let’s take a look at some foundational principles that we can take from Scripture so we can build the right kind of foundation.
Prayer
God’s Word is His way of actively speaking to us. When we open the Bible, we are receiving access to the pure, true, Word of God. He put the words that are found in Scripture in there for a reason, and those words are alive! God wants an intimate relationship with His people, and communication is at the heart of any type of intimate relationship.
Make prayer a cornerstone aspect of every day. When you live in constant communication with God, You are further strengthening the foundation that your life needs in order to withstand the storms that we all face.
Connection with Other Believers
It’s been said that no man is an island, and that certainly applies to the Christian life. That is good news when put into practice, but it can be alarming news for those of us who tend to think that we’re better off trying to get through things on our own. In the Garden of Eden, God said it wasn’t good that Adam was there alone. With that in mind, He made Eve. In the New Testament, Christ started sending out disciples, but instead of sending anyone out on his own, He sent everyone out in pairs.
That means that for thousands of years, God has been promoting connection among His people. When you are connected to other believers, you have people who you can rely on when the storm hits your home.
Worship
Worship is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the church. This is largely because we attribute worship to a short portion of our weekly church services in which someone on the platform leads us in songs. Depending on the type of church that you attend, corporate worship can take on a variety of looks, but the overall concept is the same.
However, worship is not meant to be a once-weekly activity. Instead, worship should be a constant. Worship is simply the decision to magnify God, focusing more on His presence than anything else in your life. Doing so allows you to withstand the storm because you know that Your God is bigger!
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me areas in my life in which my foundation needs to be made more secure. I don’t want to just hear Your Word; I want to live Your Word. Help me to connect with others and to make worship a part of my everyday life. In Christ’s name, Amen.