A House of Cards

It is much easier to fit in with the world around us than it is to stand out and live differently as Jesus called us to do.  But as true disciples of Christ we know that our lives will be more blessed when we follow His instructions. The lifestyle that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount is the complete opposite of what is accepted and expected in the world we live in.

Jesus began His message by saying, “You have heard it said”….. and then added, “But I say.”  He made it very clear that His ways are not the world’s ways and His instructions for His followers will be radically different from world views, which will make us stand out as beacons of hope and light to others.

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.

 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. Matthew 7:24-27

When I was young we played with lincoln logs, pixie sticks, and playing cards. As siblings, we always challenged each other in our building skills and tested each other’s unique structures to see who had built the strongest. Of course, the house of cards looked the coolest, but it was also the most fragile and always collapsed with the slightest breath.

When Jesus finished teaching His disciples about the many ways that following Him was different than following the world, He challenged them to put His teachings into practice. Living the disciple’s lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight which is why He referred to the process as building, which takes time and must start with a solid foundation.

Each time we face a challenge, turn the other cheek, take our thoughts captive, forgive and not only hear His Word, but become doers of His Word, we are building on The Rock and we will be able to withstand the storms of life.  He has given us all the building materials that we will ever need and they are found in His Word.

You get to decide how you will build. Will you choose the cards (the worldly ways) that may look impressive, but are flimsy and will fall, or will you choose to build on the solid rock that is Christ? The choice is yours.

 “Therefore if __________hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice she is like a wise woman who built her 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.  But if ____________ hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice she is like a foolish woman who built her house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. – Matthew 7:24-27