You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)
It was time to set off the bombs. Spiders and a variety of other eerie, shadow-loving insects had found their way into our crawl space, and they needed to die. I loaded up on several bug bombs at the store, then shimmied down under the house on my hands and knees—no wonder they call it a crawl space! As I was placing the bombs, I noticed that the entire foundation of the house was made of stone blocks. They were built several feet below the ground level, providing a durable base on which the rest of the house sat. The bug bombs went off and the insects died, but the house remained secure. Even through high wind, thunderstorms, and hard rain, that deep stone foundation made for a strong home.
Jesus is the cornerstone on which we build our lives. Peter described us as one of the stones added to the building, to create a house called the church. Our churches, just like our lives, can face intense stress. We battle interpersonal conflict and financial insecurities. We struggle through illness and lament over loss. Leaders come and go. Society challenges our core beliefs. But like a well-built home, our lives are grounded.
When your life feels shaky, recall that you are a living stone, surrounded by other believers, who are all founded on the rock—Jesus Christ.
Have faith that Jesus will hold you strong through the struggle.
Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway [Wesleyan] Church, in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
