STORMS. THEY'RE AN INEVITABLE PART OF LIFE.
IN FACT, AS YOU AND I HAVE JUMPED IN AND OUT
OF CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER ABOUT SPIRITUAL FORTITUDE
AND MENTAL HEALTH,
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT MANY OF THE STORMS THAT I'VE FACED,
THE DISAPPOINTMENTS, BOTH PROFESSIONALLY
AND PERSONALLY, THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED,
THE PRESSURE TO MEASURE UP THAT I'VE FELT,
AND EVEN THE SEASONS OF ANXIETY THAT I STRUGGLED THROUGH.
AND IF WE WERE TO SIT DOWN AGAIN IN A FEW YEARS,
I'D BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE NEW STORMS
THAT I WALKED THROUGH,
BECAUSE LIFE JUST ISN'T ALWAYS EASY.
I KNOW FOR SURE YOU'VE HAD YOUR FAIR SHARE OF STORMS, AS WELL.
YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK A QUESTION WORTH ASKING IS,
HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE RESILIENCE
TO FACE THE STORM AND NOT LOSE HOPE OR FAITH?
IN LUKE CHAPTER 6, JESUS ASKS A PIERCING QUESTION TO HIS
FOLLOWERS AND THEN HE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN IT WITH AN EXAMPLE.
HE ASKS, "WHY DO YOU CALL ME LORD, LORD,
"AND DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY?"
OUCH! IN OTHER WORDS, WHY DO YOU CLAIM THAT I HOLD
A PARTICULAR PLACE OF IMPORTANCE IN YOUR LIFE,
YET IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE WAY YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE?
THEN HE TELLS US WHY IT'S IN MY BEST INTEREST
AND YOUR BEST INTEREST TO OBEY HIM AS LORD.
HE GOES ON TO DESCRIBE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
ONE PERSON TAKES HIS TEACHINGS
AND ACTUALLY PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE,
AND THE OTHER HEARS HIS TEACHING
AND DOESN'T PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE.
THE ONE WHO LIVES OUT WHAT JESUS TAUGHT IS LIKENED TO
A WISE BUILDER WHO BUILDS THEIR HOUSE
ON A SOLID ROCK FOUNDATION,
AND WHEN THE STORM CAME THE HOUSE DID NOT FALL.
THE ONE WHO DOES NOT APPLY TO THEIR LIVES
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS IS LIKENED
TO A FOOLISH BUILDER WHO BUILDS THEIR HOUSE ON SAND,
AND WHEN THE STORM CAME THE HOUSE WAS DESTROYED.
THE RESILIENT HOUSE WAS BUILT ON A SOLID FOUNDATION.
JESUS IS TEACHING
THAT WHEN WE CHOOSE TO SURRENDER OUR LIVES TO HIM
AS LORD OVER OUR LIVES,
THERE IS NO STORM STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE US OUT.
YOUR BEST LIFE AND MY BEST LIFE IS WHEN JESUS IS LORD.
NOW JUST TO BE CLEAR, BUILDING OUR LIVES
ON THE FOUNDATION THAT IS JESUS
DOESN'T MEAN YOUR LIFE WILL BE PERFECT.
REMEMBER, IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE STORMS OF LIFE CAME.
IN OTHER WORDS, LIFE IS GOING TO HAPPEN,
THINGS WILL GO WRONG,
TRAGEDY AND DIFFICULTY WILL COME,
BUT WHEN WE OBEY JESUS AS LORD AND BUILD OUR LIVES
ON THE FOUNDATION ROOTED IN HIS WAY, NOT OUR WAY,
WE'RE BUILDING A LIFE THAT'S NOT GOING TO CRUMBLE
NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE.
WHEN YOUR SECURITY AND IDENTITY AND VALUE
IS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION THAT JESUS DIED TO SAVE YOU,
THAT BREAKUP WON'T WRECK YOUR LIFE,
THAT LAST JOB WON'T MAKE YOU QUESTION YOUR WORTH,
AND THE SEASON OF SINGLENESS YOU'RE IN WON'T DEFINE YOU.
WHEN, IN YOUR MARRIAGE, YOU LEAD THE WAY
IN LOVE AND HUMILITY AS JESUS TAUGHT,
YOUR MARRIAGE THAT MIGHT BE STRUGGLING
CAN FIND NEW LIFE.
WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING SIN THE WAY JESUS TAUGHT US
TO FIGHT AGAINST SIN IN OUR LIVES,
YOU'RE STEERING CLEAR OF THE THINGS
THAT PROMISE TO RUIN YOUR LIFE.
WHEN YOU BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THE HOPE
OF JESUS'S RESURRECTION,
YOUR FAITH CAN SURVIVE THE TRAGEDY
AND FIND PEACE IN THE PAIN
RATHER THAN DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE FRUSTRATION.
RESILIENCE IN THE STORM COMES DOWN TO WHAT, OR RATHER WHO,
IS AT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR LIVES.
WHO ULTIMATELY IS LORD?
WHOSE WAY ARE WE FOLLOWING, OURS OR HIS?
WHOSE TRUTH ARE WE LEANING INTO, THE WORLDS OR HIS?
WHEN ANYTHING OTHER THAN JESUS IS LORD OVER YOUR LIFE:
MONEY, A PERSON, A RELATIONSHIP,
A HOPE, A DREAM, A HABIT, A FEELING,
A TEMPORARY FIX, OR EVEN YOURSELF,
YOU'RE BUILDING YOUR LIFE ON SAND.
BUT WHEN WE SURRENDER TO JESUS AS BOTH SAVIOR AND LORD,
YOUR FOUNDATION WILL BE SECURE,
YOUR HOPE WILL BE SET,
AND YOUR LIFE PURPOSEFUL AND FULFILLING.