Firm Foundation or Shaky Ground

   In Matthew 7, the wise man built his house on the rock. The foolish man built his house on the sand. Every one of us builds a house. Our houses we build MUST have a foundation. Your house must have a foundation. What foundation is your house built upon? “the rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded the house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash!” The house built on a shaky foundation of sand collapsed. Matthew 7:27

     In 1st Corinthians 3:18-20, the wise man knows that the wisdom of this world is foolishness. "Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become 'fools' so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight.....'The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are so futile.' So then, no more boasting about human leaders!"

I’m sure you all wondering what these scriptures have to do with each other. Here is what they spoke to me about together. Many mornings after my quiet time, I sit and listen to a sermon from other pastors who I believe are knowledgeable in the Word and things of God. I am building onto my foundation to make it even stronger. Some of the pastors that I follow have recently stepped down from their pulpits due to sin in their lives. There is no denying these pastors have had good fruit in their lives and have helped me to grow immensely. I have added what they taught me to my foundation. At the same time, I often wonder if I should spend more time in the Word and less time listening to other pastors. As humans, these pastor’s are fallible. The Word of God, however, is not fallible. It is truth.

     After reading 1st Corinthians, I wondered do we attach ourselves to pastors and others as part of our foundation? Shouldn’t we be attached to only Christ? Do I attach these pastors teachings and preaching to me and make them a part of my foundation? Do I attach what wise things others say to my foundation? I believe it’s worth considering my attachments. I do believe the Holy Spirit speaks to these pastors using their mouths and His words come through. Other times, it’s their own words. I believe other Christians in my life have good things to share with me also but I cannot place their words higher than God’s Word. I think it’s good to listen to other preachers who are  teaching – just be sure it’s directly from God’s word and not an adaptation of “worldly wisdom”. Worldly wisdom is the same as foolishness. Worldly wisdom is shaky ground. God’s Word is firm and a solid foundation. Don’t neglect reading and studying the Word for YOURSELF, for if the wisdom is an adaptation of the world, it will hold us back from God and cause our world to come crashing down. Our lives need to be built on a FIRM foundation.

     Through the parable of the house, it offers us 2 choices.

• (1) Build your life on the rock (solid foundation)— on biblical wisdom, not the world’s wisdom. You will experience safety, steadiness and salvation.

• (2) Or build your life on the sand (foolishness)— on worldly wisdom. You will experience shakiness and, eventually, destruction.

     Those are the 2 choices we have. Allow the Bible, allow Jesus to guide us, allow biblical wisdom to direct our lives. Or allow the world, worldly wisdom to guide and direct us. Yes, there is absolutely a time and place to learn from pastors and other Christians; just don’t position it higher than the Word of God.

     In life, things that seek to destroy us will come. There will be things that try to shake us from our foundation. They will often come at a time we are not expecting. Life is going great. All is well. Then BOOM!! The storm comes. Depending on what foundation you have built, you will either be solid on your foundation and survive the storm or your sand will shift and you won’t survive.

Worldly wisdom doesn’t save. It doesn’t protect. It only results in destruction. Godly wisdom is ALL we need.

     Build, build, build! The more solid and higher your foundation becomes, the closer you are to God. Build on a firm foundation, NOT shaky ground! Continue building on your foundation with Him. We must continue building up our solid foundation, but be particular with whom you let build on your foundation. Be sure the other people you were listening to have Godly wisdom, and not just adaptations of the “world’s wisdom.” If the wisdom is from the world, it is not wisdom at all. If your foundation is not solid, then it’s not a solid foundation at all.