Who Needs Stability?

Matthew 7:24,25 Jesus said, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

Please read again the verse above.  I don’t want you to miss anything. Words of Jesus.  He talks about the actions of someone who is wise.  He says that a wise person builds on solid foundations so that when life comes flying at him, he will be able to survive and stand a chance to thrive.  

Never overlook the value of stability.  Stability is super big!  We often see crazy, messed up people living crazy, messed up lives and wonder, “What happened to them?”  If you know somebody like that, their issues can most likely be traced back to unstable foundations at home.  Maybe, they didn’t have stable parents. Broken homes and broken parents.  No faith and no hope.  Little love and emotional support.  Maybe, no training in manners or expectations from society.  Stability is one of those essentials for success.  And the way to get stability is by having strong foundations.  

As an example, the taller and bigger a building is to be built, the deeper the foundation must go. My house stands today because of its stable foundation.  Everything considered a success started with a stable foundation!  A rocket can make a spectacular flight to space if it has a good, stable foundation.  You cannot use advanced math if your basic math skills are small.   Simple illustrations each, but so important for good living!

I’ve seen situations where an aspiring young adult really wanted to make a purchase, change a job or be considered for a special position but their lack of stability in life prevented them from moving forward.  Their past caught up with them.  We can recognize instability.  In physical structures, look for cracks in a wall, sagging roofline, or even doors that no longer close.  In people, we see poor manners, inconsiderate of other’s time by always being late, failure to make payments on time, and the inability to stay at a job and be consistent.  Emotionally, an unstable person is unpredictably up and down and easily takes on a “victim mentality” (their problems are always due to failures of others!).

How can you develop stability?  Here’s a few ideas:  1) Set priorities for yourself and stick with them.  God and faith in Jesus Christ needs to come first.  That means establishing consistency in worship, Bible reading, prayer, quiet time, serving others and developing friendships.  Next will be family… your wife, your kids, or your parents and siblings.  Yes, your family should come before your church activity.  Your first ministry (other than personal devotion to God) should be to your own family.  Which brings me to “community”.  

Stability requires input from others.  We are sometimes blinded to our own faults. We need community to help support us in our pursuit of life.  A Christ-centered, Bible believing, spiritual church is my first choice.  Service organizations also provide opportunities for friendship/fellowship and accountability.  God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”  So true!  Loneliness and too much alone time brings out the bad in people.  An old saying says “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”  It has been true for me!

Practically, be a person of your word.  Be consistent in your commitments and values.  Be early for work, do your best and stay late without complaining when needed.  Try to be the kind of person who brings positivity into a space instead of negativity.  

Be the best you can be!  Then, when life comes at you and it seems you can’t make it through… you’ll know that your “house” (life) will stand because it has been built on solid rock!