Authentic ManhoodSample

The Builder

One of the coolest things I’ve seen is when a man builds his own log house. There’s a deep sense of pride as the builder’s hands have touched every piece of his home.

In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches through an illustration by talking about the wise and foolish builders.

Both builders had the same problem: build a shelter before the storms arrived. The difference was their approach.

The foolish man seemed to build quickly without thinking about the most important aspect of the structure: the foundation. But the wise man seemed to take a moment to process and think about where the best location would be to build something that would hold strong.

Jesus was not talking literally about houses but rather pointing us to the reality of building our spiritual houses on Him.

It reminds me of Joshua 24, where Joshua’s leadership of Israel is coming to an end. In his final command to the people, he challenges them to choose how they will build their “houses”—on the idols of other nations or on the Lord God.

For Joshua, it was a simple choice. He chose the Lord.

But what’s easily missed is that he is stating this at the end of his life. How can he make this decision when he’s so close to passing away?

Simple. He made that decision a long time before that and then lived it out.

In Numbers 13:1-33, we find the account of the 12 spies, of whom only Caleb and Joshua believed the Lord would give them victory in the Promised Land. And what happened to the rest of God’s people?

“Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:30 NIV)

Before the 40 years of desert wandering, before the years of conquering the Promised Land, Joshua decided where his Foundation would be.

You may never physically build a house. But by the choices you make every day, you are building your household.

Just make sure you are building on the right Foundation.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You are my Foundation, and You hold me in the storms of life. Help me to lead my household and build our family on You. Amen.

Reflection: What is one way you are already building your foundation on Jesus? What is one way you can add to that?