March 23: Building on the Rock
You agree with all of it. You’ve decided. But has anything actually changed in what you do each day?
“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.”
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told a short story. Two men built houses. One built on rock. The other built on sand. Then the storm came. Rain fell, floods rose, wind blew. The house on the rock stood. The house on the sand fell with a great crash.
What made the difference? Jesus says the wise builder is the one who hears His words and does them. The foolish builder hears the same words and doesn’t.
Both heard. Only one acted.
That’s an important point about Step Three. Making a decision is essential. It’s the turning point. But a decision that never turns into action is like a blueprint that never becomes a house. When the storm comes, a blueprint won’t keep you dry.
The decision to turn your will and life over to God gets built into something solid through action. That’s why the steps don’t stop at three. Step Four, the honest inventory, is the first concrete action that follows the decision. Many people suggest starting it soon after Step Three, before self-will has a chance to talk you out of it. Then the steps keep going, each one laying another layer of foundation.
Action also means daily things. Praying in the morning. Going to meetings. Calling your sponsor. Being honest. Helping someone else. Each one is a stone laid on the rock.
The storms will come. Cravings, losses, conflicts, bad news. They come to everyone, wise and foolish alike. The question isn’t whether you’ll face a storm. It’s what you’ll be standing on when it hits.
If you’ve made the decision, good. Now build. One action at a time.
One thing today
Write down three concrete actions you’ll take this week to put your Step Three decision into practice. Make one of them talking to a sponsor about starting Step Four.
A prayer
Jesus, I’ve heard Your words. Help me do them, not just agree with them. Make my life a house built on the rock, ready for the storm.
The decision of Step Three leads into Step Four.
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