I'm a sand-builder

One of those stories that never quite got reclaimed from Sunday School for me is the one Jesus tells in Matthew 7.

The story goes that there were two men who each built houses - one man built on a foundation of rock, and the other on a foundation of sand.  Jesus says that the man who hears his words and puts them into practice is like the man who builds his house on the rock.  When the rains come, that man's house remains; but the man who builds his house on the sand finds himself with a house that's been washed away.

I remember hearing this in Sunday school - even singing a catchy little choreographed song about it.  When it came time to interpret the story, Jesus was the rock.  And we were to build our lives on him... by reading our Bibles, by going to church, etc.

Ok.  Totally appropriate to keep it simple for 6 year olds.  But tonight I feel like I'm reading it again for the first time, especially in light of the place I am at currently with Jesus.

Here is where I am: I find myself a good part of the time not really wanting to do the "hard work" with Christ.  The hard work of a disciplined life.  The hard work of sitting in silence before him.  The hard work of being cleansed through a fast.  The hard work of living more simply and less busy to see him more clearly and obey him more singularly.  You know... the hard work.  The work that has deep spiritual benefit and reward, a reward that can not be earned, but that nevertheless requires a significant amount of effort.

It's a theme of slothfulness that is just plain in me.

Here's where Jesus' story in Matthew 7 intersects with my story:

I picture myself there in the builder's shoes.  I have an option to either build on the rock, or build on the sand.  Of course, the rock has obvious benefits: more sturdy, longer lasting, safer, and will provide support for a structure that can grow bigger and bigger.

But it has one major drawback: you are going to have to just about break your back building your foundation on that rock.  It won't give easily.  It can't be cut easily.  You're going to sweat.  It's going to go slower than you'd like.  You won't see progress as quickly.

You have to be patient.  You have to be determined.  You have to be strong, and allow your strength to grow as you reach your breaking points from time to time.

You have to keep the big picture in mind as you build, because it would be so easy to let it go in light of the slow, hard, tedious work of building a solid foundation out of solid rock.

You have to not compare your progress to that of those around you who are building mansions right on the beach.  And you can't spend working hours strolling over to your neighbor's mansion on the beach, sipping lemonade, looking over to the work that you should be doing that is now being stalled.

It's hard building a house on a rock.

It's easy, on the other hand, to build a house on sand.

Sand gives really easily.  A shovel goes nicely into the sand.  Work can be accomplished quickly.  And it looks like it's the same work - same veneer, anyways - so it's sometimes hard to even tell the difference.

But you can tell the difference when the rain comes.  One structure - maybe not quite finished, maybe not quite as ornate - remains standing, while the other rushes away under the pressure of the elements.

I have a tendency to build and rebuild my house on the sand.  Then the rain comes.  Then my house is washed away.

But then I rebuild on the sand!

Frustrating.  Stupid.  Isn't that the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing every time but expecting different results each time?

Lord God:

Make me content building a house on the rock.  Strengthen my resolve.  Teach me what it means to work hard but to not work hard to earn.

Make me someone who loves your discipline.  Make me someone who is willing to be transparent enough to be disciplined in front of others.  Make me someone who is humble enough to learn from those who have been building on the rock for years.

Thank you for your grace and patience with me, God, and sand-builder.

Transform me, God, into being a son who builds his house on the rock!