Learning from the Wise and Foolish Builders
Hi,
As many of you know, one of the great privileges that I've had for more than 10 years now, is teaching the Bible to the children in the public schools here in Australia. Some days it can be a real challenge, but overall I really do enjoy it immensely.
 This week I was teaching one of the parables of Jesus about the Wise and Foolish Builders.
If you're not familiar with the story yourself, you can find it in Matthew 7:24-29 and Luke 6:46-49.
In a nutshell, Jesus uses the illustration of two builders - a wise man and a foolish man. They both build a house, but the difference between them is in the foundation that they built upon.
The wise man dug deep into the rock and laid a very firm foundation, while the foolish man didn't even bother with a foundation, but simply built his house upon sand.
Of course, the weather turned bad, as it inevitably does, and the house on the sand which was built by the foolish man was completely destroyed.
The wise man's house went through the very same storm but came through securely due to the strong foundation that had been laid.
When Jesus told this story, He said that those who obey Him are like the wise builder and those who don't are like the foolish builder.
A simple story to convey a very important truth!
 So, how does this parable of Jesus apply to our everyday lives? There are so many ways!
The obvious, of course, is that our life itself can be compared to a building.
When we determine to live our life in a way that pleases God by following Biblical principles, we are building on a firm and solid foundation for ourselves. When the storms of life come, as they do for all of us, we won't be completely destroyed or devastated by them.
On the other hand, if we ignore God's Word and live by our own code or reasoning, our foundation is very unstable and we are much more vulnerable when troubles come our way.
It's not always easy to build on a firm foundation!
In fact, I'd say that the effort required in creating a solid foundation for any part of life is substantial. Whether it is...
- building relationships
- creating a strong marriage
- building a business
- raising children
- learning a new skill
- improving your education
...or any other worthwhile task, the hard work must be put in first if we want the stability and security that follows after.
In our day of microwave ovens, instant messaging, and pizza's in 5 minutes or it's free, we've become a society that wants instant results in life with very little effort on our part.
Consider the value of the long term approach instead. Apply the story of the wise and foolish builders to your own life in every area and enjoy the peace and security of knowing that you have a firm foundation beneath your feet.
When those winds start to howl around you and the waters start to rise, you'll be able to face the storm with confidence and an unusual lack of fear.
Just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you today that I hope will encourage and challenge you to apply God's Word to your life in ways you may have not considered before.
Blessings,
Angie
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