Building Your Life on the Rock

Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount with a stark warning: those who hear his words but do not put them into practice are building their lives on sand, destined for collapse when the storms of life hit. Only those who hear and obey are building on the solid rock that will withstand any trial.

This parable of two builders drives home a crucial point: obedience to Jesus is not optional, it is essential. If we are not obeying Jesus, we are not truly following him.

Jesus describes two men building houses. One digs deep to lay his foundation on bedrock. The other, whether from laziness, impatience or lack of resources, builds directly on the sand. When violent storms come, only the house on the rock remains standing. The one on sand collapses catastrophically.

The meaning is clear:

1. We all build our lives on a foundation we hope is secure. It's human nature to seek safety and stability.
2. We all face storms that batter us and threaten to destroy us. Life inevitably brings trials and hardships.
3. Some will not make it through these storms with faith intact. Why? Because they've built on a faulty foundation.
4. The key difference is this: The wise builder both hears Jesus' words and puts them into practice. The foolish builder hears but does not obey.

Simply listening to Jesus' teaching is not enough. Nodding in agreement is not enough. Even loudly affirming its truth is not enough. We must act on what we hear.

This principle applies in all areas of life. A young baseball player can attend the best training camps, but if he never implements what he learns, he won't improve. A struggling couple can attend marriage counseling, but if they don't apply the lessons, their relationship won't change.

As James, the brother of Jesus, wrote: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).

At the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus commands his followers to "make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Note that last phrase—disciples are those who obey Christ's commands, not those who merely admire Jesus from afar or cheer him on like a casual fan. True disciples order their entire lives around Jesus' teachings, seeking to crown him as Lord over every thought, word, and deed.

This is not about achieving sinless perfection. It's about the direction and trajectory of our lives. Are we progressively submitting more of ourselves to Christ's lordship? Are we more obedient now than we were five years ago?

This is admittedly a hard teaching. We prefer a "nice" Jesus who makes us feel good without demanding anything of us. But that Jesus is a figment of our imaginations.

The real Jesus—the one who gave his all for us—calls us to give our all for him. He knows that abundant life is found only in him. So, when he warns us not to build our lives on anything else, it is an act of love.

It may sound harsh to our ears, but it would be far worse for Jesus to let us continue down a path leading to disaster without speaking up in love.

To be clear, Jesus is not teaching that we are saved by our obedience. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). But genuine, saving faith will inevitably produce the fruit of obedience.

As Paul writes, we are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). We are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. Obedience doesn't make us right with God. But it is strong evidence that we have been made right with God.

So, we face a stark choice. We can be polite listeners who quietly cheer Jesus on but never let him impact our lives. Or we can be devoted followers who intentionally order our entire existence around his teachings.

There is no neutral ground. No third option. We are either building on sand or on the rock.

If you want to survive the worst storms life can bring, there is only one way: keep surrendering more of your life to Jesus. Keep inviting him to show you areas of disobedience. Keep asking for his help to change.

It won't be easy. Our flesh resists submitting to anyone or anything. But the rewards are beyond measure. Jesus promises that those who obey him will experience intimate fellowship with God himself:
"Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them" (John 14:23).

Obedience brings intimacy with God. There is no greater gift.

If you're wondering how to move forward in obedience, here are some suggestions:

1. Ask Jesus to show you one area in which you're currently disobeying him. Don't try to tackle everything at once. Focus on one thing.
2. Invite Jesus into that area of disobedience. Ask what he would do in your situation.
3. Ask for the desire to obey. Sometimes we don't even want to change. It's okay to pray, "Lord, I don't want to do this, but I want to want to. Please give me that desire."
4. Ask for the power to obey. Admit your weakness and dependence on his strength.
5. Take concrete action. James says, "Faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26). Put your faith into practice.
6. Celebrate progress, not perfection. You won't get it right overnight. But are you moving in the right direction?
7. Keep going. Obedience is a lifelong journey of submitting more and more of yourself to Christ's lordship.

Jesus doesn't promise that obedience will shield us from all of life's storms. But he does promise that if we build our lives on him—the solid rock—we will be able to withstand whatever comes our way.

So let us commit ourselves anew to hearing and obeying Christ's words. Let us dig deep and build our lives on the unshakeable foundation of Jesus himself.

When the rains fall, the streams rise, and the winds blow and beat against us, we will not fall. For our house is built on the rock.