Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Matthew 7:24-27
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you felt like you were stuck in a rut? One of those times when it seemed like you were treading water and not really going anywhere or accomplishing anything? Most of us have experienced this at some point in our lives. Ruts can take on a variety of forms and affect us in different ways. Sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in first gear, trudging wearily through the monotony of life, and living the same day over and over again. Other times, our lives feel like a blur of packed schedules dictated to us by our culture, our jobs, our relationships, or our daily circumstances. Regardless of whether we’re stuck in the mud or flying at warp speed, ruts can leave us feeling stressed, tired, and unfulfilled, and maybe even questioning whether our lives have any real meaning or purpose. Sadly, as painful as ruts can be, they are also strangely comfortable, and that can make it easier to keep things the same and complain about them than to actually change them. That is, until you’re forced to change them.
One thing that is certain about the coronavirus is that it is has disrupted everyone’s life in some way. For some, the disruptions have been extremely painful and life altering, including loss of life and livelihood. For others, the disruptions have been fairly benign, more annoying than anything else. However big the disruption, when we see our way of life (even our ruts) threatened, our fear of losing control leads us to turn to whatever we believe will rescue us at the time. Unfortunately, that’s not always God. Often times, we look to our own strengths and abilities, money, relationships, or status for our salvation. But Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that relying on these things is foolishness because we can’t always count on them when the storms of life come. He compares those of us who rely on these things to foolish builders who built a house on sand. The house may look great, and may even stand for a good long while, but when the storms come, everything starts to falls apart. The wise builder, on the other hand, constructs his house on rock so that the foundation will withstand the storms of life. In the same way, our lives may seem easy and comfortable, but when our health fails, or the stock market tanks, or we lose our jobs, or our relationships falter, we will have nothing left to cling to if we haven’t already embraced our loving Father. Instead of pursuing the things society tells us to value, we must dig deeper and build our lives on the foundation of God’s Word. Then when the storms of life come, we can hold fast to Him while He carries us to safety. After the storms have passed, staying entrenched in God’s Word can help us avoid getting stuck in meaningless ruts as we walk along the path of life.
While disruptions can throw us into confusion or disarray, they also provide opportunities to take stock and make the changes needed to live more meaningful lives. Our government officials are telling us that things will likely never get back to “normal” once this crisis has abated but rather we’ll all come to know a “new normal”. Our prayer for everyone is that your “new normal” will include a life centered on God’s Word and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Whether you need to dig out of a rut or completely rebuild the foundation of your life, we invite you to visit the church website and review the study called “Unstuck”. This series of films and biblical teachings combined with real life stories of everyday people will help you get back to living the life of purpose that God intends for each and everyone of us!
Peace and Blessings,
John Petrillo
Faith Lutheran Church Council