Did you ever play a game where the point of it was to get yourself dizzy? Maybe spinning with your forehead on a bat? My sister and I used to compete to see who could spin in our living room the longest before falling down. When I’d finally fall, it looked like the carpet was tilting on its side and I’d slide off into nothingness at any point. Such a terrifying prospect!
My eyes told me I wasn’t safe. My gut told me the same, but I WAS safe, held by gravity against the earth’s solid surface.
Jesus said the person who follows His instructions is like a person who builds their house on rock rather than sand. What does that mean? What do we do in houses? We live in them. So if we are putting Christ’s words into practice and building a framework for our lives, maybe the walls of our metaphorical house are the values we chose to live by.
Imagine yourself showing someone around your home, and rather than pointing out a beautiful plant or piece of art, you’d point out the things you put enormous value on. Like life, personal connection, joy, growth and learning, loving kindness, honesty and truth. These solid walls fit perfectly on the bedrock of Jesus.
These walls keep us safe from choices that don’t honor us or who our God is. Within these walls, we can thrive, our lives burning brightly, becoming a light on a hill. The warmth glowing from our windows offers respite to lost souls who keep building on the sand and getting beaten by the storm.
The faith life doesn’t mean our house never springs a leak or we never feel like the world is tipping. Sometimes it seems like we’re sliding into the abyss and holding on by our fingernails. BUT we are safe. Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble(?)…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Rom. 8:35-39
