Choose Our Foundation Wisely

Christ told the story of building a house to symbolize building our life, character, or soul. (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 14:25-33). Irrespective of wealth, intelligence, or faith in God, the house built will face unavoidable storms. The outcome, stand or fall, depends on the choice we make for its foundation.
 
Christ described two types of foundations. A strong and solid one depends on listening to and following Him. A weak foundation is one listening to His teachings without following Him. Note that the dichotomy here is not good versus bad, but wisdom versus folly.
 
Make decisions wisely, soberly, and not emotionally (Luke 14:25-33). Having said that, similar to getting married or having kids, we must be comfortable that we can never be absolutely certain with our choices. 
 
Count the cost of following Him. It can require laying down our ego, control, reputation, or certain habits, preferences, relationships, attitudes, or behaviors.
 
Count the cost of not following Him. It can result in a life enslaved by ego, money, image, reputation, or power; living a life of fear and greed; or dying in despair, after living a meaningless life.
 
Count the benefits of following Him: forgiven of our mistakes through grace from the cross; having God’s guidance and help; living a life with hope and meaning, beyond worry and fear, and not enslaved by money, reputation, sex, safety, or image; or having confidence of life after death.
 
Typically, we don’t choose to be evil or intentionally plan the wrong path. We don’t get married planning to divorce. We don’t go to the office intending to meet someone with whom to have an affair. We don’t have children planning to wreck them. We don’t live our life planning to be greedy, selfish, or racist. But these things can happen when we make choices entirely based on how we feel.
 
Do we follow ourselves or God?
 
Learn from Christ and follow Him. We may not be as good as the original disciples, at least initially. Just try to understand and follow Him. Choose wisely. Our life depends on what we choose as our foundation.
 
Summary of a sermon by John Ortberg: 
https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.menlo.church/Choose-Your-Foundation_Apr2018_jortberg.pdf?mtime=20180504112555
 
 

智慧地选择生命的根基
 
基督讲过一个建造房屋的故事，用来象征建造一个人的生活、品格或灵魂 （马太福音7：24-27，路加福音14：25-33）。无论个人的财富、智慧或对上帝的信仰如何，那被建造的房屋都会面临不可避免的风暴。其结果或是屹立不动或是倒塌在地, 都取决于人对其根基作出的选择。
 
基督描绘了两种不同类型的根基。有坚固根基的是一个先聆听然后跟随祂的人；有薄弱的根基的是听了祂的教导却不跟随的人。请注意这里比较的不是人的好坏，而是他的聪明或愚拙。
 
应该冷静地作出智慧而清醒的决定，不能感情用事 （路加福音14：25-33）。 话虽如此，我们要知道就像结婚或生孩子一样，人对自己的选择不可能有完全的把握。
 
数算跟随祂的代价：可能意味着放下自我、控制、声誉、习惯、偏爱、关系、态度或行为。
 
数算不跟随祂的代价：可能意味着一生被自我、金钱、形象、声誉或权力所奴役，过着恐惧和贪婪的生活，枉度一生后绝望地死去。
 
数算跟随祂的益处：籍着十字架的恩典过犯得以赦免，得到上帝的引导和帮助，过着不让忧虑控制而是充满盼望和意义的生活，摆脱金钱、声誉、性欲、安全或形象的奴役，对死后的生命充满信心。
 
人通常不会选择邪恶或故意策划错误的道路：结婚时不会打算离婚；上班时不会刻意寻找外遇；生孩子时不会谋策如何毁了他们；不会计划过一个贪婪自私的生活或选择做一个种族歧视的人。但如果完全依靠自己的情绪来做选择，这样的情形可能发生。
 
我们是跟随自己还是跟随上帝呢？
 
当向基督学习并跟随祂。 我们可能不像当初的那些门徒一样优秀，至少起初不能做到那样。 只要尽力认识基督并跟随祂，做出智慧的决择。人的生命取决于选择什么作为生命的根基。