Building a relationship that will last
Daily Scripture
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. 26 But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Picture yourself standing on a beach standing on the water’s edge. What happens to the sand under your feet as the water flows in and out? It literally moves out from under your feet and often causes you to lose your balance. Now, imagine a house that is built on sand. What is going to happen when the rain falls, the floods come, and the wind blows? The sand is going to wash away and the house will collapse. This wasn’t hypothetical: in Palestine, “there was many a gully which in summer was a pleasant sandy hollow, but was in winter a raging torrent of rushing water. * This is the image Jesus used to conclude the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). This isn’t just any sermon, either. It’s Jesus’ magnum opus, “a great work; especially, the greatest achievement of an artist or writer” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Anyone “who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice” is like someone who builds a house on sand. The final impression that Jesus’ left his listeners with was a warning that it’s not just about hearing Jesus’ words. It’s about doing them.
- Be humble. Tell the truth. Don’t judge others. These are but a few of the many lessons throughout the Sermon on the Mount. The foundation of all these lessons is love. No relationship is immune from the storms of life, and love is a foundation built on solid rock that keeps the house (the relationship) from crashing down. Thinking about your relationships, what storms have you endured? How sturdy was your foundation? In what ways can you practice love to ensure that your “house is firmly set on bedrock”? What are 2-3 ways you can practice love in your relationship(s) today?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that your love for me is always a “house firmly set on bedrock.” Help me to follow your example today and practice love in my relationships. Amen.
GPS Insights
Ann Williams
Anne Williams has served as a pastor at Resurrection since 2011 and is now the Resurrection Downtown Location Pastor. She loves to guide the process of reconstructing faith. She and her husband, Eric, raise two sons, Jude and Reid. Anne writes real, honest devotions about everyday life at thebradshawdrafts.com.
My husband, Eric and I celebrated fifteen years of marriage this month! We’re at a stage in life where the foundation of our marriage is firmly set. That also means we have deeply-rooted patterns as we engage with each other in conversation and, yes, even conflict. One of the kindest things we are learning to do is notice the negative patterns while they’re happening, pause, and be willing to try new ways to engage. One of the best forms of grace we know how to extend is keeping an open mind to new patterns and rhythms. Starting over. Offering second chances and finding new beginnings.
We are one of those couples who has been together since high school. We were two completely different people when we met than we are now, but then, isn’t that the same for all of us? I imagine every one of us wants to grow and adapt and continue becoming the person God called us to be. The only way it works for high school sweethearts to stay in love is to keep growing and changing ourselves and allowing the other to do the same.
Even when your foundation is set, it doesn’t mean your patterns have to be fixed as they are forever. Resurrection hope comes in a marriage with one who is willing to keep working and growing by God’s grace.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 1 Chapters 1–10 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 291.
