What’s Your Foundation?

by Jennifer Haynie @JenniferHaynie1

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

–Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)

Two weeks ago, Steve and I got to get away for a badly needed vacation to Sugar Mountain in the High Country of North Carolina. We stayed at the top of the mountain—literally. Only one or two other buildings in the complex were above us. A ski lift was steps from where we were located.

Since we were at the top of the mountain, we had fantastic views of the valley below. At times, the clouds dipped downward and engulfed us. It was almost like a magical wonderland.

Sunday night, a front came through. The wind picked up, and as I was getting ready to crawl into bed, it howled around the corners of the house in an eerie sound. Later that night, a storm rolled through.

Where we were, the wind whips along mountaintops on a regular basis. Yet our building, which sits atop pilings driven into granite, didn’t even tremble. It remained stable, just as I’m sure it has since the day it was built.

That got me to thinking about where we put our faith. What do we hold on to that we think will get us through those tough times when the winds batter our lives? We have to be careful where we put that faith. Here’s some places where we often try to put it: jobs, money, family, church, and even our communities.

When we do that, there’s a risk.

We run the risk of putting a burden on people such as children and friends, that they were never meant to shoulder. They can crumble under too many expectations.

We can put our faith in institutions such as churches and communities, then watch in disappointment and dismay when they fail to meet our expectations. They can fail because they are run by man, who is broken, and not by God.

We can entrust ourselves to objects such as jobs and money, only to despair when events or circumstances make them vanish.

We can also do something else. We can put our faith and trust in Jesus. He won’t vanish or crumble under the weight of the storms that shake our lives such as sickness, world events, or changes in life circumstances. Instead, He remains a constant, unshakable presence in our lives. Trusting Him is like the man mentioned in the verses above who built his house on a solid foundation of rock.

Being up on the top of Sugar Mountain refreshed me. It renewed my faith. It also refocused me and reminded me of where to put my faith. Not on the sand of friends, family, jobs, or money but on the firm foundation that Jesus is my Lord and Savior and will remain with me no matter what life throws at me.

When we place our faith in Jesus, we place our faith in Someone who won’t crumble or waste away in the face of adversity. #authenticity #encouragement Click To Tweet

Question: Where have you been tempted to place your trust?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Get in on the conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

No Comments