Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matt 7:24 (NLT)

Build a Life On

Nearly eight years ago, my husband and I embarked on a quest to buy our first home. We had a very small but precious deposit saved up that would be enough for us to buy a “fixer-upper.” Something old and quaint with loads of potential. After weeks of searching, we found a small but clean home tucked away in a quiet culdesac, backing onto parkland and only a stones throw away from the lake. Perfect. I fell in love. I started to dream of how we would renovate, what color we could paint it, what walls we could pull down and construct, and how my veggie patch would fit perfectly in the sunny corner right up the back… The house was going to auction, so we got our finances in order and went in with high hopes. I was sure that the house was meant for us. However, we were outbid and my little dream became someone else’s.

Two days later, the Central Coast in NSW experienced the worst storms it had in decades…For DAYS on end the wind tore apart trees and buildings; whole suburbs were flooded, and roads were blocked. Being the curious type, Jesse went to inspect the damage around our area and decided to drive by the little house we didn’t get. As he rounded the corner and the property came into view, he was astounded to see that the roof of that little house was sitting next to it. On the ground. In pieces. It had been completely torn off. The house within was laid bare to the elements and was stormed into it for seven days. It now needed a lot more than a little ‘fixing up.’

You might be at a stage where you’re looking to put your roots down, build a life in a certain way, doing certain things. Dreams, plans, hopes, and visions might be fresh and exciting, spurring you on, making life seem like a grand adventure and you a pioneer ready for the journey. Or, you might feel a little bit like that little house. Stormed into, torn apart, fragile… in need of some rebuilding and repair.

In either circumstance, you can choose how to build. It’s your decision what materials, thoughts and decisions to use. You may have been gifted (or robbed of) a certain set of circumstances by life, but what you do with them is up to you. And all the while, Jesus – the infinite, the creator of all, the one whom Paul called a ‘master builder' – beckons to you; he holds plans in his hands, wisdom in his eyes, life on his lips. He speaks words you can build your life on.

Words that are like solid rock.

Sometimes our dreams and plans go awry. Life throws us some lemons and we’re left with a house (a life) that looks nothing like what we dreamed it would be. OR maybe your life looks shiny and beautiful on the outside, but within it's empty and unfurnished. Cold. Or perhaps there’s no building, just plans and ideas, fertile ground begging to be built upon… let the words of Christ construct within you a strong and resilient foundation. One that you can build on, brick by brick. One that can handle the storms of life. One that makes repair and healing possible, not insurmountable.

Words like: accepted, chosen, redeemed, hope, faith, purpose, discipline, possible, light, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, unity… and love.

It's never too late to rebuild, start again, or start fresh. No matter what your life looks like today, allow the infinite words of Jesus, of faith, hope, and love, build in you something beautiful, something like you've never seen before. Something beyond your wildest hopes and dreams. Beauty from ashes. Joy from pain. Wisdom from rubble.

“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.” – Matt 7:24-27 (MSG) 

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