Article October 24, 1988 Issue

A secure foundation

Whether you are building a house or building a life, the security of your structure depends on the foundation.

Albert G. Nelson

In house building, strict attention to every detail is required, and craftsmanship of a high order is necessary to achieve a satisfactory result. The walls should be solid and strong and provide secure support for the roof, which should be durable and weatherproof. Doors of pleasing design are set up to afford easy access, and windows installed to allow for air and light. Such a structure can be erected to a great variety of designs and can provide lasting comfort and protection to the occupier for many years.

We haven't mentioned one vital component, however— the foundation. It wouldn't make good sense, after all, to start building on a base that is inadequate and subject to sinkage and fracture. How long would the completed structure stand on an unstable foundation? Inevitably it would show signs of weakness, begin to sink and crack—even collapse—when subjected to the stresses and buffeting of the elements.

Christ Jesus revealed his knowledge of good building practice in his Sermon on the Mount when he discoursed on the essential steps to take when setting up a house that would be stable and enduring. Such a house has to be built on a solid rock foundation, not erected on a sandy base that can become unstable in times of severe storm and flood. The Master's parable was meant to show us the foundation on which we need to build our lives. He said: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Jesus went on to say that one who did not obey his teachings was building on sand. When the floods and winds struck such a house, he said, "It fell: and great was the fall of it."^{See Matt. 7:24–27.}

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