Luke 6:43-49
“A good tree does not produce bad fruit. Also, a bad tree does not produce good fruit. Each tree is known by its fruit. People don’t gather figs from thornbushes. And they don’t get grapes from bushes. A good person has good things saved up in his heart. And so he brings good things out of his heart. But an evil person has evil things saved up in his heart. So he brings out bad things. A person speaks the things that are in his heart.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys is like a man building a house. He digs deep and lays his foundation on rock. The floods come, and the water tries to wash the house away. But the flood cannot move the house, because the house was built well. But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who builds his house on the ground without a foundation. When the floods come, the house quickly falls down. And that house is completely destroyed.”
Food for thought!
Once Benjamin Franklin said, *Failing to plan is planning to fail*. What he meant is what Jesus teaches us today: we need to plan ahead! And this is what the foolish builder didn't want to do. He was short-sighted. He never troubled to plan ahead and think what his chosen site would be like six months afterwards. In every decision in life there is a short view and a long view. Happy is the person who sees things, not in the light of the moment, but in the light of eternity.
And when we plan, we do well to remember that always there will be hard times ahead, there will always be problems and challenges down the road and prepare for there. In our planning there must always be contingencies, or as the reading of today put it floods, and storms; we have to plan for floods in our lives, families and businesses. This is what the foolish man didn't do. The foolish man could not be bothered to think and dig deep into the rock. The sand was much more attractive and much less trouble.
Stephen Covey, author of *"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"*, recommends that we “begin (planning) with the end in mind.” In other words, imagine the worst scenario picture; plan for the worst and you will get the best; know what you want to achieve; what you want to be, and then move backwards to what it takes to have what you want. Whether it is a special project or a simple daily routine, begin by setting a goal that takes into account the steps needed to reach it.
And once you have set a (noble) goal, don't give up before you achieve it; be ready to sacrifice anything in order to get it. Don't let people who dislike you to make you dislike your dream; such people are the storms and floods that fall on our house, our dream. If and while we stand by Jesus, we shall stand all of them and each one of them. Remember, we can do all through Jesus who strengthens us.
Be ready to pay the price of what you intend to achieve. In other words, if you're not willing to pay the price, then you won't get the prize. There is no prize without a price. Behind everything we want in life, behind every achievement, there's a cost to pay; there's a struggle, a cross. Without the cross there's no salvation; without pain there is no gain. Remember, “There is no prize without a price.”
“A good tree does not produce bad fruit. Also, a bad tree does not produce good fruit. Each tree is known by its fruit. People don’t gather figs from thornbushes. And they don’t get grapes from bushes. A good person has good things saved up in his heart. And so he brings good things out of his heart. But an evil person has evil things saved up in his heart. So he brings out bad things. A person speaks the things that are in his heart.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and obeys is like a man building a house. He digs deep and lays his foundation on rock. The floods come, and the water tries to wash the house away. But the flood cannot move the house, because the house was built well. But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who builds his house on the ground without a foundation. When the floods come, the house quickly falls down. And that house is completely destroyed.”
Food for thought!
Once Benjamin Franklin said, *Failing to plan is planning to fail*. What he meant is what Jesus teaches us today: we need to plan ahead! And this is what the foolish builder didn't want to do. He was short-sighted. He never troubled to plan ahead and think what his chosen site would be like six months afterwards. In every decision in life there is a short view and a long view. Happy is the person who sees things, not in the light of the moment, but in the light of eternity.
And when we plan, we do well to remember that always there will be hard times ahead, there will always be problems and challenges down the road and prepare for there. In our planning there must always be contingencies, or as the reading of today put it floods, and storms; we have to plan for floods in our lives, families and businesses. This is what the foolish man didn't do. The foolish man could not be bothered to think and dig deep into the rock. The sand was much more attractive and much less trouble.
Stephen Covey, author of *"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"*, recommends that we “begin (planning) with the end in mind.” In other words, imagine the worst scenario picture; plan for the worst and you will get the best; know what you want to achieve; what you want to be, and then move backwards to what it takes to have what you want. Whether it is a special project or a simple daily routine, begin by setting a goal that takes into account the steps needed to reach it.
And once you have set a (noble) goal, don't give up before you achieve it; be ready to sacrifice anything in order to get it. Don't let people who dislike you to make you dislike your dream; such people are the storms and floods that fall on our house, our dream. If and while we stand by Jesus, we shall stand all of them and each one of them. Remember, we can do all through Jesus who strengthens us.
Be ready to pay the price of what you intend to achieve. In other words, if you're not willing to pay the price, then you won't get the prize. There is no prize without a price. Behind everything we want in life, behind every achievement, there's a cost to pay; there's a struggle, a cross. Without the cross there's no salvation; without pain there is no gain. Remember, “There is no prize without a price.”
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