Jesus taught about a wise man who built his house on rock; and a foolish man who built on sand (Matt. 7:24-27). A storm came and the house built on sand fell; the one built on rock stood strong. The foolish man heard Jesus' teaching but didn't act—he changed nothing. The wise man heard Jesus' teaching and did what He was taught—and his life was changed. Here's the point, we pick our path: will we be wise or foolish? Here are 3 quick questions to guide us in making the wise choice.

 

Question 1: How do you see people?

I recently ran into a friend while boarding a flight. As we caught up, I learned he was headed to meet his new client (btw, a household name). After mentioning his client’s name (loudly), he added, “And while I'm there, I’ll meet with some smaller people as well.” It seems he had a two-kinds-of-people worldview in mind; big people and little people—ones that matter, and ones that don’t. The foolish see people through a filter of those who can help you get ahead, and those who can't. Have you ever been tempted to do this?

 

Contrast my flying friend with a guy I’ve known for a couple decades. He's had enormous business success. I don’t know his net worth, but it’s significantly higher than mine. Once when we met for lunch, he hung his jacket up near our table, dropped his phone into his jacket pocket, and didn't glance at it our entire lunch. I never felt like the “little guy” (even though I'm only 5-foot-three!). Guard against valuing people based on their net worth, notoriety, or street addresses. Wisdom doesn't see people as big or small. Wisdom sees people as people.

Do you see people as big or small, or as being of equal value?

 

Question 2: How do people see you?

A good friend of mine once told me, “A-players hire other A-players, but B-players hire C-players.” A foolish person needs to be the most talented, strategic, and successful individual in the room. The foolish see the talented teammate as a threat, while wisdom views him as a key asset. Live like this for long, and we'll start to notice wreckage in relationships along our path. We may never hear it directly, but those around us will view us differently than we expect.

 

I was with a longtime friend at a hot chicken restaurant. Thirty years prior, we’d attended high school together. He had become a stellar pro athlete and been retired for over a decade. Still, he would occasionally be spotted by fans. As we walked to our table, a family asked for his autograph. I overheard the dad tell his kid, “This is so and so, he was a big-time pitcher!” My friend obliged. But, within two minutes, he pivoted from reliving the glory days to asking, “Hey, have you met my friend Kent Evans? He runs this great ministry...” The foolish are always
interested in being king of the hill. Rather, wisdom helps others climb.

 

Do people see you always trying to be king of the hill or helping others reach the top?

Question 3: How do you see God?

 

Hear me out, in this Scripture, Matthew isn't really talking about only "storms of life" stuff. Yes, disease and divorce are painful. But Isaiah and Ezekiel both talked about "great storms" in the Old Testament to describe God's wrath. If you build your life on anything other than Jesus, Scripture calls that hearing and not doing. Building on sand. Foolish even. That house falls. But if you build your life on Jesus – the rock – Scripture calls that hearing and doing. That's wise—that house does not fall.

 

The storm is coming, and this test is pass-fail. Isn't that the gospel? It’s good news that you don't have to lean on yourself. Instead, you can lean on God's work. You listen to Jesus' teaching and are not only wise to live by it, but you’re also prepared for anything that comes, in this life or beyond. You no longer face life or death with fear, anxiety, or exhaustion.

 

 

Kent Evans is Executive Director of Manhood Journey. He is married to April, his wife of 28 years,
and they have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He’s a speaker, author, and is passionate
about God’s Word.