The House On The Rock

I passed a billboard today advertising “The House On The Rock”. I actually pass this billboard everyday on my way to work but today it struck me and I began to think of the following:

First, let me explain for those of you not from Wisconsin that The House On The Rock is actually an attraction located in Spring Green, WI. It truly is a unique house built upon an equally unique rock by its designer. It has several extraordinary collections and interesting things to see. There is even an inn, resort, spa and golf course for one to enjoy. You can check it out at thehouseontherock.com (The picture today is a view from within the infinity room at the House On The Rock.)

However, what hit me when I read the billboard today is the story in Scripture where Jesus described two building projects. One project is a house built upon sand and the other is a house built upon rock. After both were completed, the winds blew, the storms came, and the resulting effect was the one on the sand collapsed and the one on the rock still stood. Now we all have probably heard that story and even if we haven’t we can easily conclude that we want to be like the house built upon the rock.

Jesus is telling us that we need the foundation of our lives to be upon God, who is our rock, because God never changes, which of course makes sense and is pretty cool. Although this is where it gets interesting for me in my thoughts: Even though this can make sense and seem pretty clear, we also need to ask ourselves what are we building upon this rock.

Not every building, even though built upon a solid foundation, will remain after the storms of life have come and gone. It takes quality building materials to also make a house or a life last. If we haphazardly spend our lives in pursuit of the generic to get by and we still love God, what kind of shelter do we have when the rain pours down? What kind of comfort is there in that? On the other hand, if we build some extravagant mansion and draw attention to ourselves rather than to the God we proclaim to serve where is the comfort in that?

So I guess the question comes to mind – What is comfort and how does it relate to building a home or a life in this metaphor? Well comfort according to the dictionary is a condition in which somebody feels relaxed or a relief from pain or anxiety. A house should feel comfortable, inviting, relaxed, a place where our pain or anxiety is relieved. If life is full of anxiety, pain or stress for you, even though you might love God with all your heart, one question worth pursing might be are you doing what God desires you to do. In other words, are you building your life the way God would like you to?

God gives us all dreams and desires that will help us fulfill the plan He has in place for us. But, if we are not building those dreams specifically, then as I mentioned before, we are choosing the generic to build with, which leaves us uncomfortable in the end because we know there’s a nagging in the pit of our stomach that says we could do more. If we are pursing more than what God has called us to then we become overstretched, worn out and unfocused wondering when can we slow down and rest. God plan is always balanced and perfect. For one it might be a simple cabin in the woods approach to life for another it might be a sky rise condominium. The important thing is that we not only center our lives on God but that we seek His will and purpose for our lives to make our building worthwhile.

I know that Scripture also says that Jesus has gone on before us to prepare a place for us to be with God. I think of it this way: Jesus is the general contractor, overseeing the building project of our lives, but we are the fellow labors with Christ deciding on the materials we will use to actually construct the building. I would encourage you today to be sure to not only depend upon God but to look to Him for wisdom and guidance for the decisions you make regarding how to live your life!