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I often have people ask me about which story in the Bible is my favorite. I almost always tell them that it's the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders in Matthew. The interesting thing is though, when someone asks me what my least favorite story in the Bible is, I give the same answer.
In Matthew 7 (verses 24-27) we hear about two builders. The wise man builds the foundation of his house on rock, and the foolish man builds the foundation of his house on sand. When the storms come, the house built on rock remains standing, while the house built on sand falls with a great crash.
We know that the “rock” in this story refers to Jesus. I love the fact that this story reassures us that if we have a strong foundation to our faith, if we have put all the “building blocks” in place, we will be able to weather the storms. I see the promise written here, and I've experienced it as well. I have had “stormy” times in my life.
The last two years have felt like one long storm with a few brief interludes of sunshine. However, the dark clouds are lifting and in this particular storm I am beginning to see signs of spring. The good news is – my house is still standing.
However, I also said this story is my least favorite. I wish the story said “The wise man built his house on the rock and he experienced sunshine and calm days for the rest of his life.” That seems like it would be fair, right? If I do all the right things, and if I am following Jesus, I wish the promise is that life would be easy.
That isn't what it says though. As a matter of fact, when you read this story – the scripture uses the exact same words to describe the storms that came to both men.
God didn't promise them a life free from storms; God did promise to help them get through the storm so that they could still be standing at the end of it.
It is easy to have faith when things are good. It is so much harder when your world is crashing all around you. This is the story that I try to remember when I think about why building a firm foundation is important for myself and for my children. I want them to have a strong faith foundation to build on and turn to whenever the storms do come, and I know they will.
I want them to understand that they have a God who loves them, no matter what. I want them to know the God they can turn to when a kiss from mom and dad or a band-aid isn't enough to heal whatever it is that has hurt them.
