Building On The RockSample

How’s Your Building Coming Along?

Self-help books have been popular for some time, and they are still popular. There are general self-help books and focused self-help books for men and for women; for those who want to be rich, powerful, popular, or successful; or for those who want good health or an optimistic outlook or simply good feelings.

Let me recommend an alternative. No, let Jesus recommend it. He gives us His purpose, in fact, at the end of His teaching: “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. . . .” (Matthew 7:24). This is how He sums up the body of teaching that we call the Sermon on the Mount. We have gone far astray, and the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount are key to setting us on the right path. 

Every day we see around us the evidence of worldly values, but in the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us heaven’s values. We hear of people tangling with the law, but He teaches us to get our hearts right and the law will not be an issue. We see hypocrisy, but He leads us to a genuine faith without show. We see the pursuit of riches, but the Savior charges us to store up treasures in heaven. We see worry, but He calls us to trust God. We see judgmentalism, but He charges us to judge ourselves. We see around us people building on a foundation of sand, but the Lord of the universe invites us to build on the rock.

In the rest of the New Testament we will be given more details on how to build our lives to maturity, both as individuals and as part of a church. But if we are to have God’s help with our self-improvement plan, we can begin at no better place than here. In the coming days, we will examine Jesus’ building blocks for a godly life. Are you building on the rock? When the rains of life come, will your building stand?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for this rock on which to build. Please guard my heart from building my life on the sand of this world’s outlook and philosophy. 

Teach me Your way, O Lord, teach me Your way! 

Your guiding grace afford, teach me Your way! 

Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight; 

Lead me with heavenly light, teach me Your way!