Hey Hope Family!
One of my favorite teachings from Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, is found in Matthew
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. 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. 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. The rain came down,
the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash."
This past month, this passage really brought to light the importance of building my life in Jesus' teachings as my youngest and I took a few weeks off to camp and wander in eight different National Parks across America’s West.
Before driving over 6,300 miles, over the course of 150 hours, while averaging a whopping 45 miles per hour, I did a ton of preparation for this trip. Whether it was a spare key, a full-size spare tire, rotating and balancing tires, changing the oil, or getting my brakes checked for the mountain descents, I felt prepared for hitting the road. And, while my truck held up great, there were some other hiccups we encountered along the way that I didn’t prepare for:
Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27, is talking about two different foundations on which to build a “house.” But, while the foundations were different, the storms came all the same.
When we build our life on Jesus, the house built on the rock, we’ll still be hit with the same life storms that hit everyone else. But what will our reactions to these hiccups say about where our foundation is built?
As for me, let’s just say that I had an opportunity to apologize to my son for my reactions to a couple different scenarios. They were good reminders that while I’m not perfect and have opportunities for growth in my life, I can choose moment by moment to continue to build my foundation on the rock that is Jesus.
I’m sure you’ve already had opportunities (like me) to face a few of life’s storms. Let’s aim to be like the wise man who built his house on the rock so that our lives reflect the strength, endurance, and beauty of a faith deeply rooted in Jesus.
Blessings,
Shane P Friesen
One of my favorite teachings from Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, is found in Matthew
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. 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. 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. The rain came down,
the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash."
This past month, this passage really brought to light the importance of building my life in Jesus' teachings as my youngest and I took a few weeks off to camp and wander in eight different National Parks across America’s West.
Before driving over 6,300 miles, over the course of 150 hours, while averaging a whopping 45 miles per hour, I did a ton of preparation for this trip. Whether it was a spare key, a full-size spare tire, rotating and balancing tires, changing the oil, or getting my brakes checked for the mountain descents, I felt prepared for hitting the road. And, while my truck held up great, there were some other hiccups we encountered along the way that I didn’t prepare for:
- A camp site getting cancelled because of a shooting death
- Trails being closed because of Grizzly Bear activity
- Someone cutting my son off in traffic and about getting us killed (I’d rather have been eaten by the Griz)
- A rental that fell through
- Needing a hotel for the night because it’s 111 degrees outside
- A flash flood ruining another hike
Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27, is talking about two different foundations on which to build a “house.” But, while the foundations were different, the storms came all the same.
When we build our life on Jesus, the house built on the rock, we’ll still be hit with the same life storms that hit everyone else. But what will our reactions to these hiccups say about where our foundation is built?
As for me, let’s just say that I had an opportunity to apologize to my son for my reactions to a couple different scenarios. They were good reminders that while I’m not perfect and have opportunities for growth in my life, I can choose moment by moment to continue to build my foundation on the rock that is Jesus.
I’m sure you’ve already had opportunities (like me) to face a few of life’s storms. Let’s aim to be like the wise man who built his house on the rock so that our lives reflect the strength, endurance, and beauty of a faith deeply rooted in Jesus.
Blessings,
Shane P Friesen