What elements are you currently building into your life? What habits and daily activities are you a part of and developing? What aspects of your character are you focused on and aware of? All of us are building something into our lives daily. What are you building into your life?
Luke 6:46-49 says, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
One main point of this text in Luke 6, in this teaching by Jesus, is this word called obedience. It’s not enough to just hear the Word of God and call Him Lord; we must also obey the Word and do what He says. Obedience requires action on our part. Building obedience into our lives takes work and effort.
So in order to be obedient, we must first learn the basics. The verses in Luke 6 talk about the basics of building a home. Why would anyone build a house without a foundation? Perhaps to save time or to avoid the work. Maybe it is easier to just join others who have skipped the basics and have already built their home in the sandy areas? Maybe it’s because they haven’t heard about the potential of violent storms? Whatever the case may be, those with no real foundation, or weak foundations – those who skipped the most important, yet basic task of building the right foundation, will be sorry.
The foundation of your soul & mind is made up of what is most important to you.
Obeying God is like building a house on a strong, solid foundation. When life is calm, when it is easy, our foundations don’t seem to matter. However, when problems come along, that is when what is most basic — and yet most important — part, the foundation, is tested.
The foundation of your soul and mind is made up of what is most important to you. Don’t become too busy to build into your life elements that truly matter. We need to be sure that our life is built on the solid foundation of the Lord. Don’t ever stop pursuing the most basic, important thing in life: an obedient relationship with God. Build up for yourself a solid foundation of knowing and trusting Jesus.
A life of obedience to God and His Word yields true blessings — but we must choose just that, obedience unto Him. All of us are building something … what are you building into your life?
Nick Emery is the senior pastor at Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church. He can be reached at pastornick@gswc.org.