July 2018

did not? Those that fell were
not solidly anchored. The home
owners wanted to be close to
the scenic river view from their
back windows. They neglected
warnings that the flood plain was
already showing erosion wear
causing the topsoil to slip out
from under the structure, known
as undermining. (Bruner, 1970)
This is still a problem today.
Those who were wise stayed
back from the flood plain where
the ground was solid.
This situation is a great visual
illustration for a parable Jesus
told. Many of us grew up in
church learning the song, “The
Wise Man Built His House
Upon the Rock.” As adults,
we’ve read about the wise and
foolish builders from Matthew
7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49 in
our devotions or Sunday School
lessons. Do we ponder this
passage when we must make
an important decision? Our faith
can be undermined by building
our proverbial house on the
sand, ready to collapse at the
slightest gusts from life. Making
wise decisions requires us to
know the character of God while
recognizing His voice through
His Word, the Holy Spirit, and
other Christians.
Living Contrasts
All we have to do is look at
headlines in the news to see
the results of foolish living: Hulk
Hogan had sex with someone
else’s wife then discovered it was
on video posted on the internet
(Hogan, 2014). His shameful
act was exposed to the world.
Following Joseph’s example
from Genesis could have helped
him avoid such an embarrassing
revelation.
What about a godly elderly
couple celebrating their 50th
wedding anniversary? It might
appear in feel-good posts on
Facebook but rarely does it
get a prominent spot in the
news.
The lead pastor of the Seoul
Korean mega church, the Yoido
Full Gospel Church, embezzled
$12 million in 2014
from funds belonging to the
church. Although he did not
go to prison, he was required to
pay a $4.7 million in fines (Reed,
2014). It was reported that his
son was probably part of the
reason for the pastor’s disgrace.
This Christian leader caved to
temptation by making a foolish
choice rather follow God’s
command to not steal outlined
in Leviticus 19:11.
But what about a Christian corporate
leader who built up his
company by saving millions
of dollars through avoiding a
bad deal? Rarely do we see
such ethical business practices
held up in high esteem. People
love a juicy morsel of sinful
living to devour. Foolish living
draws unsavory attention. It undermines
the security of one’s
life.
Living Examples of Rock Solid
Living
Living this life in a world that
operates contrary to God’s
Word is very challenging. Men
and women of faith face such
challenges through prayer,
Bible study, and trusting God
for the results. Such people are
wonderful role models for us.
There are many examples
of Christians who have
led an exemplary life. One
ordinary Christian man, an
executive director of a YMCA
in Northeastern Ohio, sets an
example for those who know
him. Jim was unusual for his position
because he rarely wore a
suit and tie for his workday unless
he had a special meeting
that required one. His mode of
dress was athletic wear. He was
frequently seen putting toilet
paper in the restroom, cleaning
up spills, shovelling snow,
and stocking the pop machines.
When he needed to ask questions
from one of the class
instructors, he either waited
until the instructor was finished
with class or he did the exercise
movements as he spoke with
them. He was also known to
help with children’s swim lessons
or basketball league when
there were not enough instructor’s
available. His extraordinary
example helped young adults
advance into leadership. He was
unusual because he lived faithfully
to the Lord, not caving to
the power and control of leadership
nor taking advantage of
the people under his care.
Not all decisions Christians
make have an ethical or moral
basis. In fact, acting on faith goes
against conventional wisdom
with amazing outcomes. What
the world, or even many other
Christians would normally do
given unusual circumstances, is
64 www.faithfilledfamily.com July 2018