In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells us to be careful of what foundation we’re building our life over; is it one of fickle sand, or one of solid rock.? When I read these verses, I reflect upon my own life, my personal experiences.
Matthew 7:24 & 25 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
My parents divorced when I was three years old. I was their only child, and they had been married for nine years prior to my birth. Both of my parents eventually remarried and had another child with their new spouse. I grew up celebrating holidays, birthdays, and special occasions with two completely different families. I would spend the first weekend of every month at my father’s house; along with my step-mother, my step-brother, and my half-brother. I lived with my mother, my step-father, and my half-sister. I never knew anything different.
My husband and I now have two children of our own. Our oldest is five. I look at her and I think about what my life was like at her age. As I grew older, it became very hard for me to understand why my parents had divorced. When I reached my teen years, it was extremely hard for me to grasp the fact that my parents had been married for nine years, then had ME, and divorced three years later. Whoa.
I was empty inside. There was a hole longing to be filled. The lack of a solid foundation was immense in my life. Deep down in my heart of hearts, I felt that. I knew that. But I was a child. I was young, and I had no idea how to fill that need. Please keep in mind, I am describing my own life. In no way, shape, or form am I claiming that all children of divorced parents feel this way. Not at all.
I found myself at 17 years old a junior in high school, deceiving and lying to my parents. I did many things that were illegal at my age – or illegal all together. But somehow, I was still grounded in the fact that I had rules, responsibilities, and obligations to fill. By the time I made it to college, well, let’s just say eventually I found myself at rock bottom.
I cannot blame my actions on anyone but me. I alone am guilty of my choices and my actions. I chose the path which led me straight to the bottom of a deep, dark hole, with seemingly no way out. But, I look back on my life as a child see how fickle, inconstant, and faithless my foundation was. My “house”, the house of Lauren was built on a mountainous pile of sand. An accumulation of sand that one day, “the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:27)
I tell you all of this to say that as parents our greatest significance in the lives of our children is to show and lead them to build their houses on a firm foundation. A rock solid, everlasting, unyielding foundation of Jesus Christ. We must learn from our pasts and teach our children to have the life that we may not have – not in the way of possessions, but in the way of faith, truth, and eternal life.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
In a recent conversation with my mom, she mentioned she wished I would have had a better foundation; as in a church, a church family, a foundation built on Jesus Christ. No matter the age of our children, the need for a foundation is significant.
I pray that we all shine the light of Jesus to our precious gifts from the Father, our children.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Psalm 127:3
Matthew 5:14-15 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Mothers, Proverbs 31:18 notes, “…Her lamp does not go out at night.” Our lights should never be out of sight, especially to our offspring whose hearts are vastly moldable. Please, let us all think about what foundation we’re building for our children.