Where Are You Building?

David Eldridge

Sometimes the children sing a song about the wise man and the foolish man who went about building their homes. This song is taken from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:24-27. He spoke a parable about two builders who built on two different kinds of foundation and found two different results. Which builder are you like? Where are you building?

On the sand? The foolish builder built his house upon the sand. Jesus says this is like the man who, “Hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them” (vs. 26). As the rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew you can guess what happened — his house collapsed. Are you building (living) on the foundation of men’s thoughts, your own wisdom, or false doctrine? To do so is foolishness for it will bring nothing but calamity and destruction.

On the rock? The wise builder in the parable built his house upon the good, solid foundation of the rock. The wise man is the one Jesus says who, “Hears these sayings of mine, and does them” (vs. 24). When the rain, floods, and wind came for this man he was prepared and his house withstood the storms. True wisdom is found in the commandments of Jesus and shown in the keeping of His words.

So, when the storms come what will happen to your house? Will it stand or fall? If you were to build a physical home you would build it on a firm foundation that it might stand, never on a foundation of sand. Build your life on Jesus’ commandments in obedience to them that you might show yourself wise and be rewarded with Heaven.