By Augustus Henry (PhD)
In a storm, you can only stick with your original plan, because when the tempest is upon you, there is no time for change.
Building for safety and security
In the story of The Three Little Pigs, the wolf made easy work of the house of straw and the house of sticks, and easy access to two juicy young pigs. However, when he approached the house made of bricks, he huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed all night until he was blue in the face, but the house of bricks stood still. That pig employed a strategy that all eternal life seekers must embrace, building on a solid foundation.
In that way, that pig complied with Jesus’ regulations for building an immovable structure, he fulfilled Jesus’ standards for erecting a solid house:
Matt. 24, Therefore 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.
You know the devil can bring some rain and he can bring some storms too. Life will bring rain and storms. The minute you leave your mother’s womb, storms and billows come. There will be storms and physicals storms. However, where, and how you build will determine endurability.
The plan that succeeds.
In 1981, my home Island, St. Lucia experienced one of the worst storms to hit the Caribbean chain of Islands, Hurricane Allen. My mother and her eight children contemplated sheltering the storm in our tiny home my father had built 10 years earlier. It was only 16 feet long by 12 feet wide. Essentially, the size of the floor was 10 sheets of plywood – as small as a backyard shed. It had no running water, indoor plumbing, or electricity.
As they announced the approach of the hurricane over the radio and the damage and destruction forecasted for the little 238 square mile Island, surviving the storm in that house was bad advice, so we moved to a relative’s house nearby. That home was bigger in size, it seemed much more solidly built than our little house. However, as the cyclone poured down mercilessly on that little Island that night, the house where we took shelter began to rattle. Galvanize sheets started peeling away and the ceiling started detaching from the walls. The house was rocking in all directions, so much so that it seemed that at any moment it would come crashing down on top of us.
It came to a moment when everyone in that house had accepted the fate of a collapsed structure. However, just when the worst was about to unload, the wind stopped, the rain ebbed away, and a total calm came over the area – the eye-of-the-storm was passing over.
At that moment we escaped to another neighbor for shelter. But, that neighbor’s roof had gone flying. By the time we got to a safe building, we had passed two other homes which were totally destroyed. And even that house where we took refuge had lost part of its roof.
The next day, we could not identify our community. Most trees had fallen; most landmarks were altered and most homes badly damaged or completely destroyed. However, when we looked over to where our house was supposed to be, amazingly it was standing there majestically, only missing one sheet of roofing. With all the destruction around it, it was standing proud with rubble all around.
When the analysis of the destruction was done, it turned out that our house survived because of the quality of its workmanship. You see, my father was a master builder. The irony was that as the storm approached, we forgot that. Because of him, the house was built using proven building principles – the roof – the type of rafters, and the grounding of that structure was based on withstanding hurricane strength winds. But the most impressive part of the story is that my father never touched the house himself. He only supervised the project.
When the master builder gives the instructions, a masterful product is delivered!
So, when Jesus says, “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”, what he is saying is if you follow the instruction of the master builder, you structure will stand firm in all types of weather.
You know you are in a storm when:
Loss comes without notice; unexpected calamity; When that happens, your storm has arrived.
The loss of a job, a depleting relationship, the ebbs and flows of your finances – are all examples of your storms that have arrived. Medical debt, a marriage gone bad, kids that walk away or detest you after sacrificing so much for them. When such things happen, a tornado, a cyclone or your hurricane has made landfall in your territory.
Then there is the quiet storm: resentment, self-doubt, that begins to batter your soul – wrestling with evil tendencies, habits, and sins that will not leave you alone. When these appear, you know that a storm is at your doorstep.
To withstand these types of storms, there is only one plan to build upon and it is the man Christ Jesus. There is no A nor B, only plan C.
When we follow the master plan or the Master’s plan we sing this song: The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will, Peace, be still! Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons or men, or whatever it be; No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies. They all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, be still! Peace, be still! They all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, peace, be still (Palmer)!
When building a house for safety there is no plan B. In the same way, building for the eternal security of our soul requires only plan C, the plan built on Christ Jesus.
The implementation plan.
What is the process of implementing the master’s plan?
-Recognize what, or most importantly, who is the building that is under construction.
1 Cor. 3:9 – “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry (property), ye are God’s building.” 16 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? The structure you are erecting that will collide with the storm is you.
-Consult the plan during building.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Therefore, trust in the lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.
-Be intentional and deliberate about laying each building block.
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Identify what you need to do to build this building – list habits, behaviours, and objectives for achieving that goal, because without commitment you will never start the process and without consistency you will never complete.