A concern of every teacher is
what the student is learning from what the teacher is sharing. The goal of
every teacher is to lay a foundation for what must be learned or will be
experienced next in the student’s life. If the foundation is not properly laid,
then future struggles will occur or failure itself will occur. A solid
foundation must always be laid.
Mat 7:24-27 "So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and
obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain poured
down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But
it did not fall, because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words
of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on
sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, the wind blew hard against
that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!"
Jesus was driving home a
point. What you teach becomes less important if the foundation is not what it
needs to be. The lessons of life must be laid out on the right foundation so
they will be applicable to whatever the person may meet.
He made no distinction
between the two houses. They may have been duplicates in both materials and
skill of construction. The only difference was the foundation. One was of rock.
The other was of sand. One was able to withstand the forces of the storm. The
other could not.
Pastors must consider what
kind of foundation they lay for their congregation. They must be conscious of
what they teach, of what they preach. Sermons are often like those facebook
posts. Once those words are out there, no amount of regret can bring them back.
Trying to explain what a statement in the sermon meant two days later may not
be adequate to dispel confusion or strong disagreement arising from a
misunderstanding.
Even in a teaching context
where there is opportunity to dialogue and delve deeper into proper
understanding, the chance for misunderstanding still exists. The old proverb is
still true: make sure your brain is in gear before you start your mouth.
Pastors must be just as conscious
of the example they set through their own lives. Another proverb goes like
this: I can’t hear what you’re saying because what you’re doing makes too much
noise. Pastors are not perfect. They make mistakes. The twofold lesson is to
work to limit the mistakes and be ever ready to offer the appropriate apology.
Parents also must consider
what kind of foundation they are laying for their children. Future decisions
the children will make will be heavily influenced by what they heard from their
parents and what they saw in their parents. The foundation laid can make the
difference between well-adjusted adults and confused individuals who have no
basis for making decisions that will lead to satisfaction and fulfillment.
No greater foundation can a
parent lay in their child than to instill in the child he or she is loved. The
security that comes from knowing you are loved and accepted through that love
is without price and unsurpassable in its power to prepare for a healthy
future.
To love is not to condone. To
love is to feel a responsibility to help the child prepare for the future, to
lay the right foundation in the life of the child. This involves instilling a
sense of right and wrong based upon a standard independent from the whims of
society. The right foundation leads the child to make decisions based upon
those absolutes grounded in the nature of God and his revelation in Jesus
Christ.
As the biblical proverb
recorded for us:
Prov. 22:6 – Train up a child in the way
he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
