REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on May 18, 2014. Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“We are All House Builders”
Matt 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
We are all house builders. The only question is, on what foundation are we building our houses? Invited guests will usually comment and compliment on the décor, the architectural design, the furnishing, the landscaping, etc. of a home, but hardly anybody asks about the foundation of the house. Yet, ultimately, all houses will have to face storms.
God gave us his word so that in obeying His commands, our lives would flourish. Jesus taught people so that in putting His teachings into practice, we would weather through the storms, or, in some cases, simply avoid them. Yet, the foolish builder continues to make sand the choice foundation by disregarding Jesus’ teachings.
The inevitable question is, why? Why would you choose a foundation that is not secure and firm? Why would you gamble your house on something that can’t stand up to storms? Parents often find themselves stunned at their children, not because of brilliance, but because of foolishness. In futility, parents ask these questions: “Why did you throw the cell phone into the bathtub full of water?” “Why did you shove your little sister?” “Why would you play football inside the living room?” And almost always, the children respond with the famous lines, “I don’t know.”
If we were to ask the fool in Jesus’ parable, “Why did you build your house on sand?” what would he say? He might respond, “I don’t know. It just seemed okay with me at that time.” None of us would be so foolish to build our homes on sand as its foundation. Who would make architectural plans to build a house on a sandy foundation? No one, of course!
But think about this: No one would sit down and make deliberate plans on having an unfulfilling and meaningless existence, would they? No couple, when making a vow, aims at going through an ugly divorce someday, right? Nobody harbors a little grudge hoping to become a bitter and resentful person, do they? They all just seem to happen.
The fool who built his house on sand had no clue that he was building on false foundation. Theologian C. Neal Plantinga said, “Sin is both wrong and dumb. Indeed, wherever the follies are playing, sin is the main event.”
The apostle Paul wrote in Eph 5:15-17, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
God may be asking for obedience in particular areas of our lives. He does so, knowing that a house is being built. And He only wants to ensure that our house is built on a firm foundation.
Prayer: Father, help me to build my life on the firm foundation of Your eternal word. Help me to be a wiser builder by obeying Your word. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Esther 6-7