A house on the sand

Two weekends ago I had a conversation with a new friend who told me that her parents had owned a place on the cape. They went on to explain that the beach where the house was located had been receding for quite some time and ultimately threatened the house such that they were not allowed to keep it...it literally started falling into the ocean.

How can that not remind you of the story in the bible about building your house upon the sand?

But beyond that, I thought...they did actually start with a solid foundation...but it was their proximity to danger that ultimately cost them the home. Maybe they didn't continue to fortify the house and the various barriers that may have helped slow the erosion process...maybe they assumed that someone else would ultimately solve the problem for them...I am not sure, but I can tell you that I don't want my house being swept away.

There is no doubt that the world that we live in acts much like the ocean did on that beach. It attacked it day and night...relentlessly for years. You wouldn't notice the change that occur ed on any given day, but the change over time was the loss of many feet of beach! The world similarly bombards us day and night with messages that will strip away at the foundation that we have with God. If we persist on that edge and do not constantly reinforce our foundation then, over time, the world will win and we will likely fall.

Recent surveys claim that 80% of children who grow up in the church will leave the church and not come back by the time they reach college. These children started out with a solid foundation. Their parents took them to church and were telling them about the Word...and yet 80% of them will fall into the ocean. I wish it were not the case, but raising a child in today's world is akin to building the house, on the beach during high tide. The moment you put a brick down it is hit with its first wave. It is a testimony to God and parents that anyone is successful at building that house at all. But it also tells us that we truly do need to shelter our children as they are being built up so that they will not be overwhelmed by the waves crashing them before they have ammple defenses prepared.

So, remember this week that when you pull out your Bible, or memorize a verse, or spend time with your children that you are doing more than just that activity...you are further building up and strengthening that foundation against the constant beating that this world is giving it. Only with consistent, tireless and proper reinforcement will our houses truly be able to withstand these forces and not fall into the ocean.