American football quarterback C.J. Stroud is young, talented, and an unashamed believer in Jesus. In a profession where the average career span is just 3.3 years, Stroud has been outspoken about where his trust lies. “Football has a lot of . . . twists and turns. But, at the end of the day, it’s all about your foundation. And something that’s set my foundation is my faith.”
Football, or any other profession, isn’t the only sphere of life with ups and downs, twists and turns. Jesus’ story in Matthew 7:24-27 features two houses, each pummeled by rain, floods, and wind. But only one survived the storm: “because it had its foundation on the rock” (v. 25)—Christ’s metaphor for His teaching (vv. 24, 26).
Yes, storms happen in this life. Sickness and countless other dilemmas can leave us spinning. Life isn’t “stormproof,” but building our lives on Jesus and His teaching—our sure “foundation” (see 1 Corinthians 3:11)—makes the difference. Those who refuse to embrace Christ are more vulnerable when life’s storms come. But those who listen to His words will find stability: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). Indeed, it’s all about our foundation.
How “storm-ready” is your life? How have Christ’s teachings helped you to remain stable during difficulties?
Heavenly Father, please forgive me for building my life on things other than Jesus and His words, and help me to rely more on Him.
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)—His first major public preaching event—begins with words of blessing in the Beatitudes (5:3-12) that welcome us into the life of the kingdom of God and conclude with a statement of assurance about what gives stability to kingdom life in this broken world (7:24). Being “poor in spirit” (5:3) helps us to recognize our great need of Him. But that need is ongoing and continual. It’s not just needed at the outset of our walk of faith but every single day. Living as we do in a turbulent, confusing, and chaotic world, we’re to build our lives (our “house,” 7:24) on the solid rock of Christ and His words to strengthen and sustain us every day. Trusting in Jesus as our firm foundation prepares us for storms before they come.
