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
Years ago, I built my first shed at my home in West Columbia. It was a masterpiece. It was large enough to store all of my tools and still give me room to move around and do what I needed to do. I was given some wise instruction from an older gentleman before I started. He told me that the most essential part of the process was to make sure that I had a good foundation on which to build. It had to be strong and perfectly square with exact measurements.
Everything built on that foundation would reflect the perfection of that foundation. I placed each of the concrete blocks ever so perfectly. I measured and measured and nailed and measured and finally got the foundation exact. He told me to take my time on the foundation, and that once completed, everything would be much easier. He was right. That old shed made it through many storms and windy days. Good advice is always good advice.
A Strong Foundation Begins by Hearing the word
A key to living a strong Christian life is first to hear the word. Jesus was very clear as if he were an older sage advising those who would listen. He identifies a set of people who were interested in building their lives on something that would last and weather through the storms that would surely arrive at the most inopportune times in their lives.
He said to hear the word. Hearing and listening are critical to those of us who want to make it through life with a sense of purpose, understanding, and spiritual health. It makes sense to me. Hearing the word is not merely to hear someone say it or read it for yourself. It is to internalize what is being read or said. Jesus tells us to “beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1)” we must understand those words. We must read them, let them saturate our hearts, and then be prepared to follow them.
To first hear the words of God means that we must be willing to submit to the absolute authority of Jesus and His perfect words.
Do you have a plan? Do you have a way to get God’s word into your mind and heart? Are His words pouring over your heart each day? Do they guide you? Do you look at them as the foundation for living?
A Strong Foundation is Completed by Doing the word
The second part of a good foundation is to act on what you hear. This is what I know; doing the words of Jesus is more difficult than hearing the words of Jesus. We are fine to hear the words, but doing the words takes intentionality and displays a more profound love for Jesus. I think it’s because most of us are hard-headed and stubborn. We have to have things our way, and we believe our way is the best. Honestly, most of the time, our approach is not the best.
Doing things our way generally gets us into trouble, and we eventually end up frustrated and aggravated.
I want to challenge you today to do the words of Jesus. He gives us a perfect picture of someone who hears His words and does them. He says their lives are like someone who built their house on a rock-solid, immovable, firm, and strong foundation.
The other picture is someone who hears the words and refuses to do them. The winds of adversity blow through their lives and their destruction was great.
Which one are you?
Are you the one who soaks in the perfectly reliable words of Jesus, who is perfect and all-wise? Is your foundation strong? If not, you begin to change that today by taking time to go back to the Bible and start reading those great stories and words that will give you a strong foundation in your life. Don’t just hear them and live in your stubbornness. Hear them and do them. You’ll be surprised at what a difference they make.