As children, it is likely we sang the catchy lyrics of a common Sunday School song “the wise man built his house upon the rock.” In those early years, the song’s message probably seemed clear. We needed to be sure to build our lives on the rock of Jesus. Simple enough, right? Yet somehow age and awareness have a way of challenging and convoluting the most basic of spiritual principles.

Do we know Jesus should be the center of everything we do? Yes.

Do we consistently make our life decisions considering His will? Hopefully.

Do we often struggle with the daily grind of living that Christian life? Probably.

You see, it is often not major life decisions that we as Christians tend to wrestle with the most. Rather we often struggle with the day-to-day habits that build these foundations in our lives and establish us “upon the rock.” We know where to run in our crisis. We have our wise counsel and our leadership, and we know exactly where to find the altar in our moments of distress. While all of this is good and right, it simply is not enough. It is like the man with his house built in the sand, running to his friend’s house built on the rock every time it rains. It cannot be sustained. Somewhere along the way, a flood will come and the man and his beautiful home on the beach will be swept away.

Disaster, loss, struggle, sickness, heartbreak, disappointment, and fear will find their way into your life at some point, and they will test the very foundation you stand upon. James 1:2-4 states it like this “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So how do we begin building this foundation? First of all, this is not complicated, and you proably already know the answer. The only reason we do not do this stems from a lack of personal accountability. Foundations are not easy to establish. They require time, consistency, and commitment.

1. If you know you have room to grow in your prayer life, then figure what schedule is right for you and commit to making that happen. This means sometimes you will have to say no to others, or start homework later, or miss an episode.
2. Read your Bible. Do you read every day? What is God talking to you about right now? If you are shaky on either of these answers, then maybe it is time to address this in your life. Download the Bible app or find a good plan that will keep you digging deeper.
3. Do you have a fast day? Jesus set the example when it came to keeping the flesh under control, and while a 40 day fast might be more than you can handle, a consistent day each week will help keep your “inner man” from running the show.

We know these things. They are nothing new to us. Yet, too often, we expect the foundation of our lives to come without the work on our part. God called us to do so much more than survive, but we will forever struggle to maintain our faulty house on the beach if we do not first put the work in to establish something eternal and rock solid.

“The wise man built his house upon the rock, and the house on the rock stood firm.”

Olivia Black is a coffee lover and is always looking for a reason to bake a cake. She has a Bachelors in Organizational Leadership from ASU and an Associates in Music from Gateway College. She just recently married her other half, Brandon Black and together they serve at Lakeview Pentecostal Church in Blue Springs, MO.

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