Storm Warning: Calm Before the Storm — Monday
Matthew 7:24-27
“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. 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. 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (NIV)
I’m no builder, but I know a thing or two about what makes your average home a good home. I also know what makes your average home a terrible one. This past summer, I moved into a new apartment downtown—and while I would never classify it in the same category as a 5-star Airbnb, on the surface, it was “good enough.” After two-and-a-half years of living with 13 different roommates (yes, you read that right), I was more than ready to set out on my own with my dog in tow to my very own one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.
A few months into my lease, I realized this place that I thought was “good enough” was actually a nightmarish situation. What started off as one dead cockroach turned into an entire infestation of them. Two months and two pretty intense rounds of extermination later, I still was finding roaches of all shapes, sizes, and generations everywhere. I had learned my lesson. Even though an apartment can seem fine on the surface—beneath the surface, it could be built on the backs of hundreds of cockroaches!
When our walk with the Lord simply appears to be “good enough,” what matters far more is what’s beyond the surface. The natural struggles of life and our reactions to these struggles are indicators of what our faith is built on. If we base our relationship with Jesus on checking certain boxes (going to church, listening to Christian music, etc.), when push comes to shove, we have nothing to lean on other than the things we’ve done to achieve a face-value faith. But when we get to know Jesus by being in His Word daily, being in community, serving others, and building our relationship with Him, when the storms come, we have a living, breathing Savior to look to—as real and firm as the ground beneath our feet.
Monday’s Reflection
Take some time today to be honest with yourself and with the Lord. Do you feel like you know Jesus, or just know about Him? Ask Him to show you ways to know Him better.