All Men Are Building

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."  
Matthew 7:24-27

Nobody wants to be thought of as a fool and the Bible gives us some very clear definitions as to what a fool is and how to avoid being one.  The familiar passage above speaks of the wise man and the foolish man.  Many of us sang the song and learned the story as a child.  Jesus is speaking of the absolute necessity of building your life on the right kind of foundation. because the foundation is what holds everything up, it holds everything together.  The building principle is that if you build your structure on a solid foundation it will weather the storms but if the foundation is on something soft, the storms will get the better of the structure.  The building principle applies not only when building a structure such as a house or a tower, but also our lives, our families, our careers, our businesses, our society, and our nation. The foundation matters.

All Men Are Building
Not all men are builders from the standpoint of earthly construction, but we are all builders of lives. There are no exceptions.  We cannot help others build their lives if we do not first give attention to the building of our own lives.  There are two builders discussed in the story…both men build a house. It’s not that one man builds and the other man doesn’t. Both build. No difference there.

The man who built his house on the sand did a lot of things right. For instance:  He was evidently diligent, energetic, and a hard worker. He didn’t quit; he persevered until the structure was complete.  We often confuse religious activity with godliness.  We can do a lot of things right as well, but without the sure foundation of Christ, a storm will come and knock it all down. 

Location, Location, Location

In the building of any building there are many choices to be made, such as the kind of material, arrangement of rooms, color, trim, etc.  Life also is full of many choices which can only be made by the builder.  The secret of successful living is not in the energy exerted or the effort put forth, even though these are important, but in the making of right choices in the various aspects of the building of the life.
Real estate agents will tell you there are three things that determine the value of a house: 1) location; 2) location; and 3) location.  Where a house is located can make a huge difference in its value.  Now if that saying about “location, location, location” is true of the physical houses we build, how much more important is it when we talk about the spiritual “house” that everyone builds for him or herself.  Where you build in life makes a huge difference; the difference between life and death.  The location that will mean life for you is the rock-solid foundation of Jesus’ words. Any other place you choose to build--all other ground is sinking sand.  So what separates the wise and the foolish?  The foundation we choose!

Scripture to Claim:  
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.   1 Corinthians 3:11