Every one of us will encounter some storms in our life. They can take the form of serious illness, financial instability, marital problems, sudden death, or the like. Hence, it behooves us to build our home upon a good foundation; one that can weather those storms that life will bring. I believe it’s foolish for us to do otherwise.
Jesus compares a man who hears and obeys His word to “a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24, KJV). “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock” (verse 25). By contrast, Jesus says the person who hears His Word but disobeys it is like a foolish builder. One who built his house upon the sand. And when storm came, the fall of his house was great (verses 26, 27).
Any house can stand when the weather is good. But it’s when the storm comes that the structural integrity of the house is revealed. And physical storms will eventually come. So, when a builder builds a house, he does not build it only to withstand good weather but also bad weather.
Equipping Our Children for the Storms of Life
The same reasoning holds for our family. Any family can stand and even thrive when life is good. But it’s when the storms of life come that the strength of the family is revealed. And it’s a given that every family will encounter some storms in its life. Jesus says the way we make our home like a house built upon a rock is through obedience to His Word.
As parents, we must stress the importance of our children not only hearing but also doing the Word. The more committed our family is to obeying the Word of God the stronger its foundation will be. And when the storms of life come, and its winds blow fiercely, our family can stand because it’s founded upon a “rock.”
As I reflect on these words of Jesus, I am convinced that the greatest thing we can do for our children is help them become rooted in Christ and in His Word. We must value this far above any material blessing we can bestow upon them.
It is reasonable to assume that we will die before our children do. But if we help them to become both hearers and doers of the Word of God, we need not be concerned about their future well-being. Sure, the storms of life will come. But our children will be able to weather them because their life is like a house founded upon a rock.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.