Key Verse: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24)
Self-help books have been popular for some time, and they are still popular. There are general self-help books and focused self-help books for men and for women; for those who want to be rich, powerful, popular, or successful; or for those who want good health or an optimistic outlook or simply good feelings.
Let me recommend an alternative. No, let Jesus recommend it: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. . . . But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” These are some of the words He uses to close what we call the Sermon on the Mount (although it’s more a body of teaching than a sermon).
In Matthew 5-7, Jesus lays out in a series of concise and pointed lessons how we should relate to God, the Scriptures, our enemies, our neighbors, our possessions, our own hearts, and true and false prophets. And if we build our lives on these teachings, He says we will be like someone who built his house on a rock. By calling this a self-improvement plan, I don’t mean to limit it to that, but I do mean it in this way: as a human race, we have gone far astray; God made us to function in a certain way, and the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount are key to getting us back to the right way. These pages are central to God’s improvement plan for us.
Every day we see around us the evidence of worldly values, but in the beatitudes Jesus gives us heaven’s values. We hear of people tangling with the law, but He teaches us to get our hearts right and the law will not be an issue. We see hypocrisy, but He leads us to a genuine faith without show. We see the pursuit of riches, but the Savior charges us to store up treasures in heaven. We see worry, but He calls us to trust God. We see judgmentalism, but He charges us to judge ourselves. We see around us people building on a foundation of sand, but the Lord of the universe invites us to build on the rock.
In the rest of the New Testament we will be given more details on how to build our lives to maturity, both as individuals and as part of a church. Jesus will continue His teaching through the Holy Spirit so that His followers can write it down for us: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:25-26). These early chapters of Matthew are where this all begins. These pages are the foundation rock of the new era.
If we are to have God’s help with our self-improvement plan, we can begin at no better place. Are you building on the rock? When the rains of life come, will your building stand?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this rock on which to build. Please guard my heart from building my life on the sand of this world’s outlook and philosophy.
Teach me your way, O Lord, teach me your way!
Your guiding grace afford, teach me your way!
Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight;
Lead me with heavenly light, teach me your way!
Author: Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He has taught for over thirty years at Columbia International University. He also serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches and preaches regularly. He is married to a wonderful wife Pam and has two terrific children, Holly, who lives in Canada, and Doug, who lives in Columbia. His four grandchildren, Isaac, Madeline, Lindsay, and Dolan, are also pretty special. He likes doing carpentry and odd jobs around the house.
