Matthew 7:24-29
24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
26-27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”
28-29 When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.
My house fell down…literally. I woke a few days ago to water and lots of it coming from my kid’s third story bathroom. Water flowed from the third floor to the bottom floor. Hours later, walls were removed, floors ripped up, and ceilings ripped down. My home was in shambles within hours. I went to bed editing my Dad’s teaching on Romans 8:28 the night before the flooding. I listened to my Dad teach on how “in all things at all times” my God would provide and make it good. I woke to bad. All I kept thinking as I was tromping through 2” of water in my home was “how are we going to pay for this.” Because my home insurance had not been paid by my lender. I had been battling that for months prior thinking it had been resolved. I spent the first 4 hours of the day on the phone with my lender trying to determine why they didn’t have home insurance on our home (their investment) when I was paying them in an escrow account each month to purchase. As the day continued, the displacement was overwhelming and my car engine came on. This is the same car that broke down on me 3 days prior and had just gotten back from the mechanic. I had been stranded about 2.5 hours from home and was rescued by friends the Tuesday prior. The rental had been returned and our credit card had been charged about $700 for the entire incident. The worst part of the day was how I reacted to the car engine light, my rowdy kids, and two dogs. I lost it and just crumbled. The way I reacted towards my kids was horrible and I just apologized to them profusely.
I realized that I can handle a lot in life, but if my home or aesthetics are disrupted then I am disrupted emotionally. The enemy found a weakness and exploited it. The damage done to my home exposed how my contentment, mental health, and confidence is built on what I can see. I had built my mental steadiness on my surroundings.
We made it to the hotel and things were beginning to calm down until I got a phone call later that evening from my stepmom. They were rushing my Dad to the ER by ambulance due to a fall. When I found out my Dad was injured and had critically low BP, I cared nothing for my stuff. I cared nothing for my surroundings. All that mattered was the health of those I loved.
I had built a house on sand. My ability to process emotion, regulate my anger, and rationalize my wandering mind were conditional on my surroundings. I place a high value on being in a stable, safe environment that is aesthetically pleasing. Walking through my dismantled home and seeing an engine light broke me. I had a panic attack in front of my kids. It was awful. It was awful for them and me. Then I hear about my Father and I am three states away and can do nothing but pray. All my focus and energy went into staring at scripture and prayer. I began to battle on my knees, (not for a victorious battle because all things are finished in Him) but I battled and labored to set my mind’s foundation on truth. I was renewing my mind. I was being transformed by truth.
After a few hours, I got the phone call that my Dad was ok. He had a hurt leg, but he also had a healed heart. He left the hospital that night with crutches and gratitude that it wasn’t worse.
I have asked God to help me build on Christ, my firm foundation. He is the rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaking, on Christ, the solid rock, I stand.
As my physical house is being rebuilt, so is my spiritual heart. I will rebuild my confidence and trust on Christ. No matter what the enemy tries to thrust at me, I will be unshakeable because He never shifts or succumbs to the elements. The wind and rain obey Him. If my confidence, faith, and trust is in anything I can see then it will be shaken by the wind and rain of the enemy. I want to be flooded with Christ and His power. I want the One who walks on water to control my confidence, faith, and trust.
I don’t believe God did this to teach me a lesson. I don’t believe it is His sovereign will to flood my home. I believe He is saying “peace be still” to the storm surrounding my family right now. The most important home I will ever build is this temple: my body, mind, and heart. I want it built on Christ. He can rebuild anything. I don’t have to succumb to panic or worry or anxiety. He is my home insurance. He rebuilds me, my family, and my home.
As I determine what to do next about finances and where to live until the construction is finished, I will turn my eyes to my general contractor…Christ. He is my firm foundation. The rock on which I stand.
gracebrakes 