By Thomas Denegre 8/21/2019
Are you ready to overcome the storms of life so you can continue
to stand and prosper?
In today’s readings of Mathew 7:21-28, Jesus explains he is our
rock foundation in the storms of our lives and like the greatest sports teams
and armies in the world, the right preparation, attitude, and belief will make
you withstand the onslaught and prosper.
Jesus
instructions are based on the counter intuitive. You must die to live. The first
will be last and last will be first. Jesus
states, it’s not enough to have intellectual knowledge of whom he is, otherwise
he will spit you out. Second, tribulations and storms are guaranteed to
come into your life, so Jesus, like any other loving parent, wants to give you
a rock-solid foundation to survive and flourish.
Let me tell you about two brothers named Mark and Bennie who are
close in age. As teenagers they were two peas in a pod being mischievous,
aggressive, funny, smart, and troublesome. The father loved both his sons
and tried to steer them away from harm. Mark went into the army and
learned to channel his energy constructively while Bennie got into sales,
drugs, and fast living.
As time progressed Mark became a believer in Jesus Christ.
He opened his heart to the Lord and became teachable to His ways. Mark
got married, had several children, and became a newspaper journalist. Life was
not always easy for Mark as the internet crushed his career forcing him into
unemployment five years out of ten. But, by being dependent on the Lord he
always had money, good health, and a devoted family. Knowing and behaving
as a son of God, great favor was blessed upon him.
Meanwhile, Bennie was less fortunate. Being opinionated,
stubborn, and rebellious, Bennie refused to be taught the character virtues for
a successful life. When the storms of life came upon Bennie it crushed
him. He went into bankruptcy twice while his health deteriorated to the
point of death. Sadly, he had no family to console nor nurse him.
The outcome of his choices led him to disaster.
Jesus
once said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have
come to bring life, and bring it abundantly.” John 10:10
I learned a lot from Mark. He told me the greatest thing
he ever did was open his heart to Jesus, so he could be loved. By knowing
how much God loved him, Mark lived in life union with Jesus. He made sure
the word of God was always in his mind and in his heart. God’s Word
breathe life into him, and he found himself naturally doing the things God
wanted him to do. Mark explained it was not an overnight transformation,
but a gradual change over many years. His favorite verse was, “If you
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be
done for you.” John 15:7
Mark explained that being dependent on Jesus allowed him to live
out his God given virtues.
Mark pointed out the difference between living a life union with
Jesus versus an intellectual knowledge of Jesus. A life union with Jesus
developed tremendous virtues and character traits within him, while the
intellectual Christian rationalized his decisions by claiming his conscious
overruled God’s Word. Hence, the reason Christian intellectuals support abortion
and sexual immorality, thereby unconsciously becoming the rebels against God;
which is the reason Jesus did not know them and spitted them out.
Jesus is naturally the rock foundation for Christians to stand
their life on. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians Chapter 3, the
framework to develop and apply our holy character. By memorizing the
verses, Mark said that every day some event would occur, and a verse came to
mind for him to use. By having God’s Word living powerfully within his
mind and heart Mark developed the virtues of Obedience, Love, Mercy,
Understanding, Compassion, Kindness, Patience, Forgiveness, and Repentance.
Mark’s most used verse was, “Tolerate the weaknesses
of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have
been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ.” Col. 3:13 (TPT)
It
turned out fellow Christians could be the most difficult people to deal
with. Most Christians were on a path from pride to humility, from
self-centeredness to selflessness, from self-hatred to self-acceptance, from
holding grudges to forgiveness. Beneath the façade of many Christians was
a lot of toxicity that God was slowly healing out, but in the meantime had to
be confronted. Mark admitted he was a
difficult and sometimes toxic Christian too. But God gave him the grace
to see people like the father of the prodigal son, whereby the person was far
more important than the behaviors they exhibit. Jesus was able to teach
and encourage Mark to apply the virtues as a healing tool for himself and for
others.
Mark learned people didn’t care
what you know, they wanted to know you care. By
living with Jesus, compassion and service to others will help heal the wounds
that the storms of life inflicted.
We know the storms of life will always rise again in our
lives. I too learned that a life union
with Jesus while having his Words alive in my heart provides the best rock foundation
to survive and prosper through storms. Below
are Mark’s favorite scripture verses, or holy virtues, on building a rock solid
foundation in your life.
You
are always and dearly loved by God!
So,
robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be
holy.
Be
merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing
kindness toward all.
Be
gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others.
Tolerate
the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the
same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ.
If
you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.
For
love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues.
Love
becomes the mark of true maturity.
Let
your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to
peace as part of his one body.
And
always be thankful.
