City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 

47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Luke 6:46-48

Commentary

Two years after we were married, Cindy and I bought our first home. It was a modest home; it cost less than $100,000. 

A few years later we noticed cracks developing in the walls in the dining room. I soon came to learn that the cracks in our walls were caused by foundation problems. The soil in Houston, I was told, is volatile, and the moisture in Houston gets into the soil, causing it to expand and contract. The expanding and contracting causes the house to settle unevenly, creating uneven stress on the structure and the cracks in the walls we were seeing. 

So, we called a foundation repair company, who quoted us an estimate of $10,000 to repair the foundation. They told me they would fix the foundation by installing piers under the house that would reach deep into the earth where the soil was solid and provided a firm foundation. 

I asked the next logical question, “If that is what it takes to fix this, why don’t homebuilders install the piers when they build the house so the foundation doesn’t fail?”

“The cost,” he said. “They use piers in the homes they build in Bellaire, but it makes the home more expensive, and a lot of people don’t want to pay the price.”

Application

For too many Christians it takes broken relationships, financial failures, or repeated moral failings to finally recognize they never paid the cost of building a firm foundation. The cracks in the walls of the house they built become apparent, and they must fix their foundation. 

Jesus said the good foundation is laid when we “hear” and “act” on His words (Luke 6:47). That comes at a cost. The cost of hearing is taking the time to learn what Jesus said by studying the Bible daily, or, as we are currently doing at City Life, participating in a Biblical foundation course. 

The cost of acting is our obedience. It’s heeding the rhetorical question Jesus asked that prompted His teaching on laying a firm foundation, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?”

Prayer

Lord, help me to build a firm foundation of obedience to Your word. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.