Build your house on the Rock!

There is a lovely kid's praise song that has so much wisdom in it. It is based on a parable that Jesus said - not to build your house on sandy land but on a good foundation. Here is how it goes:
Don't build your house on the sandy land,
  don't build it too near the shore.
Well, it might look kind of nice
  but you'll have to build it twice,
  oh, you'll have to build your house once more.
You've got to build your house upon the rock,
  make a good foundation on a solid spot.
Oh, the storms may come and go,
  but the peace of God you will know.

And here is the parable:
Luke 6:46-49
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
You usually never hear people say "You have got a great foundation". Instead People notice and appreciate what can be seen, that is the beautiful house. However the beautiful house will last through rains and storms only if it has a solid foundation. Each of us is building the house of our lives and we are doing it on a foundation we have chosen. Jesus is concerned about the foundation we are building our lives on as the storms and floods that will come are a certainity. The foundation of our lives is unseen and invisible but it will be revealed when the storms of life come upon us.

We can choose to build our lives on family or career or wealth or fame or even church and religious trappings as a foundation. However, all this is like building on sandy ground and our lives will crumble when a storm hits. The only lasting foundation on which we can build our lives confidently is on Jesus Christ, the eternal rock. Notice that in the parable, Jesus starts by saying why we are calling Him Lord and not doing what He says. Salvation in Christ is not sufficient to ensure that we are building our lives on a solid foundation. We need to walk in daily obedience and in dependence and submission on God. We cannot expect to be protected from the storms that come against us unless our lives are in complete obedience to God. So that means, we need to obey God in all areas of our life - the way we interact with one another, the way we raise kids, we way we treat our spouse and marriage, our businesses, our careers, our ministry. Yes, everything has to be built on teh foundaton of Christ and in on-going obedience to Him!
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Let's commit afresh to building our lives on the sure foundation of complete obedience to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.