I still remember the day well and I was so excited I could hardly stand it. Mama and Daddy had picked my husband (whom everyone calls “Hub”) and I up from college and he was coming home with me to visit for a couple of weeks. He had never been to Georgia before, so I couldn’t wait for him to meet the rest of the family, to show him all the sites, and to expose him to some true Southern hospitality and great down-home cooking.
Before we arrived at my house, my Dad (who was a prankster), took an alternate route. He pulled up at an old, dilapidated house that was falling down and uninhabitable. As each of us followed his lead and opened the car doors, pretending to unload our luggage, Hub’s face froze; he didn’t utter a word. After a long silence, we erupted in laughter that our prank had worked. Hub seemed relieved as we pulled away.
My Dad explained that this particular house had been condemned and would soon be raised. The cause of its decline? It wasn’t built on a solid foundation.
Shoring Up Your Foundation:
I’ve thought of that incident throughout the years as I’ve applied it to my own personal walk with God. It even comes to mind when icing a cake. Somehow, with each one I bake, the top inevitably slides to the side causing me to question where I went wrong in the process. Still delicious, we often have to eat the cake with a spoon and not by the slice because the foundation wasn’t secured.
Just like the foundation of a cake, or the structure of a building, or character in our lives, they each start with a foundation-a choice-determination-and a pattern that if consistently followed will build a firm foundation. Children, adults, a country, schools, and churches all need a solid, built-to-last foundation to be successful and to stand strong. Did you know that God talks about foolish and wise builders, and constructing a firm foundation?
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (NKJV)
God used an earthly story to illustrate a heavenly meaning. A life not founded on Jesus Christ is sure to fail. It’s like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. God is our fortress, our Rock, our only Hope, and the One and Only way to Heaven.
Countless people today foolishly think they can get to Heaven through good works, baptism, or church attendance. It is only through the precious blood of Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross that we can inherit eternal life.
The Bible says, “all of our righteousness’s are as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV) There is nothing we can do to earn eternal life…the price was paid on Calvary; salvation is a gift for all who receive it and trust Jesus as their Savior.
Don’t Just Patch the Cracks:
Undoubtedly, we each have heard of builders who are inconsistent with their building projects. Their work is a representation of who they are and is either “signed” with excellence or shoddiness. Often, they cut corners, use less than the best when choosing materials, and are careless throughout the process. That thought brings to mind the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy. Just five years after completion, it began to lean. What happened in that building process? Will the leaning tower continue to be compromised? Could it be the foundation was unstable from the outset? At the time of structure was it built to last?
Just like that leaning tower, our lives are built every day with either foolishness, or sound decisions based on the Word of God. Each of those daily choices are building blocks for a foundation that’s either weak or strong. God in your life, will give you the support needed when the storms of life come your way. Life can be hard, and more and more people are faced with seemingly insurmountable situations with no answers. People have no hope and see no way out.
Consistency in choosing Christ and His principles will fortify your foundation and give you strength and resolve for the trials that come your way. What people see on the outside may not be who you are within. Our outward demeanor may not reflect the turmoil brewing inside. Only you and God know the real you. Sometimes we can’t just “patch the cracks.” We must go back and shore up the very foundation of our lives. Trusting Jesus is the first layer of a foundation that won’t crumble—but will stand strong.
Make God a Priority:
As you build your life on God’s Word, make sure He’s a priority—that He has preeminence or first place in your life. When my kids go through trials, I always remind them to “go back to what they know.” They understand that means to go back to the basics—to what and Who they know that never fails—God and His Word. Don’t be a foolish builder of your life. Be wise and anchored in. It’s a choice you will never regret.
This is From My Heart~
You may also like an article on faith and fear: Are We Being Conditioned to Fear?
Bonnie Lovelace is a contributing writer for The Hallelujah House. Bonnie is married to her best friend Hub, and they have two grown children. She resides in the Tidewater area of Virginia. When she’s not writing she loves to minister from her heart to women from all walks of life. You can read more about Bonnie or contact her directly by finding her at the “About Us” tab on the Home page.
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