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When constructing a home, the most critical phase is the foundation. Think about it. Everything sits on the foundation, so in time, everything becomes faulty if the foundation is flawed. I once built a custom home for a General that would ultimately reshape my entire business model. The retired Marine General was a man of few words, a good listener, and he often repeated back to me what I told him. Later, he would remind me that he hired me because he trusted my reputation. The job seemed flawless, from the design process to the final punch list. The General and his lovely wife moved in and began to enjoy their home.
Three months later, I received a call from the General, "Come by the house as soon as possible." He poured coffees before showing me a massive crack in his living room wall. The brick on the other side of the wall was cracked as well. He described hearing something like a rifle sound and questioned whether someone had shot his home. I had never seen brick crack like this. The damage was not just in the mortar joints, but the brick was severed in half. The General assured me that he would not speak of the problem to others, but he wanted it fixed. After all, he hired me in the first place because he trusted that I would do the right thing.
I knew I had a foundation problem, so I hired geo-scientists to do a thorough inspection. They tested the integrity of the concrete and bored deep holes into the soils under the foundation. They discovered that the concrete footer was sinking into a void where a large tree was previously removed. The dirt was not appropriately tamped to 90 percent compaction, and loose debris from the roots caused the footer to start sinking, thus cracking brick and sheetrock. The remedy would include the removal of about 60 inches of the soil under the foundation and replacing it with heavy-duty concrete.
A few months later, after two trucks of concrete, a few thousand bricks, some sheetrock repair, and some paint, the home was as good as new. Actually, it was better than new. I had learned a valuable lesson about inspecting what I expect and trusting but also verifying. The company never made this mistake again. To my knowledge, the General did not speak a word about this issue, and he referred my company to several officers on the base.
In Matthew 7, Jesus contrasts two builders: one who built his house on the sand versus one who built on a rock. Both builders heard the message, but only one was obedient and did what Jesus said to do. The successful builder has placed his faith in the Rock, Jesus Christ. Isaiah speaks of a precious Cornerstone laid in Zion, one who is sure and who annuls the covenant of death for those who build on Him (28:14-18). Your foundation determines your home's integrity and ability to withstand the inevitable storms of life. Sandy soil may be fun for a season, but a life built on anything else but Jesus will not stand the test of time. Jesus is the Rock on which the life worth living is secured.
God said He does not reside in buildings made with hands, but His people are living homes of residence for Him (Acts 7:48). "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Is your foundation built on Jesus? Are you trusting Him in everything? Don't build your life on any other!
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