A House Built on Sand

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) The Wise and Foolish Builders

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24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 

When my life began to crumble around me in 2009 the passage from Matthew above rang in my ears daily. After years of marriage, hard work building a life together, things were falling apart. I couldn't shake the knowledge that I must be the foolish man, building in vain on sand.

Yet something about the image never really connected. I knew that the life I'd been striving to build was a good one and one I was proud of. I didn't feel like the foolish man, however circumstances certainly seemed to make it all too clear that I was.

It wasn't until I had reflected on that passage for some time that I realized I'd always pictured the house the foolish man built as a kind of shack. I imagined a bearded, unkempt man struggling to hold up flimsy walls with old rope and throwing cheap planks on top for a roof. I never saw my life as something half-hazard. I'm responsible and put a lot of thought into my plans and actions.

Late in 2009 it hit me: it doesn't have to be a shack. A foolish man can build a mansion on sand.

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This made the passage from Matthew suddenly connect with me. Thus my first realization:

For a house built on sand, using the best materials and the most skilled workers only prolongs the inevitable. My house has been well built but has been built on sand.

I didn't go through seven years of marriage casually or recklessly. Far from it. Our life together as a unit was hugely important to me. Emotionally, financially, relationally, physically, spiritually - I worked hard to make sure we were working together on all fronts - that we had the best materials. I had wise counsel from many male friends from countless discipleship groups to help guide me - the most skilled workers. The life being built looked great. It looked solid, sturdy; it was something to feel proud of.

Yet it was built on sand.

There was a bad foundation - there were things in my heart affecting me every day that were causing me to slowly crumble. Depression, loneliness and self-hatred were tearing me apart inside day after day. I kept working on our house, kept improving the life we had but my own foundations were caving in. After time I lost footing...and fell.

Why do I share this? It was helpful to me to make a distinction between valiant effort and foundation. I see now that I was pushing ahead day after day - and doing good work! - but no effort was going to change the fact that I was building on sand. It helps me to give myself credit for what I did do - I did build well and with all my heart. And it helps to recognize the problem - there was a lot of healing I needed and was not allowing.

So to you: May you build your life using good material and the help of many skilled workers. But may you never put hammer to nail if you feel the ground sinking beneath you. May you have the courage to cease striving, to put all plans on hold and instead examine your foundation. Though it may take years of living in a tent to do it, if you need to heal first - do it. Find the rock of your foundation first, then build with joyful abandon.