Choose Your Foundation
Imagine standing next to the sea as waves crash at your feet, storm clouds swallow the sky, and the wind whips your face.
You know you need shelter—and that’s when you see a small hut nestled in the sand nearby, and one further away that’s firmly built into a rocky hill. Which shelter would you choose to take cover in?
2,000 years ago, when Jesus walked this earth, He often told stories to the crowds that gathered around to hear Him teach. One day, He said to them:
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
Matthew 7:24-25 NLT
As was His way, Jesus used real-life examples to help explain spiritual truths:
“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Matthew 7:26-27 NLT
We are all building our lives on something. Every decision we make reinforces what we believe our support system to be. So when life’s storms come, will the thing you’ve built your life on support you—or cause you to crumble?
Jesus’ teachings have remained reliable and steadfast through social upheaval, the rise and fall of government regimes, and generations of historic change. No matter what has happened—God’s Word still stands firm.
Teachings from the world, on the other hand, tend to shift with each generation. Like shifting sand, what current culture provides is usually unstable because its values are constantly changing.
Storms are inevitable and challenges will come, but you get to choose your foundation. You can choose to make Jesus the one thing you build your life upon, or you can choose whatever habit, idea, or desire feels good and accessible in the moment.
So … what will you build your life upon?
God So Loves You
If you’ve experienced any part of the Bible, you probably know that John 3:16 highlights a vital part of the gospel message…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV
Think about it:
“For God so loved the world …”
God didn’t merely like the world, but He loved the world. He loved you so much that He created you, made a way for you, and desired a forever relationship with you.
“… that he gave his one and only Son …”
Because of God’s immense love for the world, He gave—generously and sacrificially—His one and only Son … because it’s only through His death that we can have life.
“… that whoever believes in him …”
It’s not enough to know that Jesus existed as a real, historical person—James 2:19 reminds us that even the demons believe that and shudder. Believing in Jesus means we choose to trust Him as Savior and Master...