Rock Bottom

“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

Never give up! Never quit! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If you fall off that horse, get back on. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. If you stumble, get back up! When you are going through Hell, keep going! When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! These and many other "motivational" sayings are all based around the idea that failing or quitting is the enemy. However, when it comes to spiritual matters I would like to share a quote that flies in the face of all of this, yet may be one of the best things you ever hear. "If you have reached the end of your rope, grease that sucker and let go!" This is unconventional thinking. Everyone and everything around us tells us that if we give up we are somehow a failure or less of a person. We even see drugs advertised on television for depression as if being in a constant state of bliss and happiness is the norm. When life gets you down, when you fail at something, when circumstances don't go your way, or whatever it may be, there is nothing wrong with giving up and you certainly don't necessarily need a drug to mask your feelings of hurt and pain from the negative events that have taken place. A testimony is described as a, "public profession of a religious experience." To a Christian it simply means, "This is the story of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ." How often have you heard a Christian give their testimony and it was filled with nothing,but good times and great experiences? Me neither. My testimony certainly wasn't that way. Yet, all we get from the world, and sometimes from the pulpit, is a message of keep going, keep striving and so on. Have you ever known someone who is struggling with something, perhaps like an addiction, and all you wondered to yourself is, "When will they hit rock bottom?" Your hope is that a person will get so sick of their circumstances that they will finally start to turn their life around. That is why many Christian testimonies are so powerful. They are full of people testifying of how they hit rock bottom and found Jesus waiting for them.

Loss of loved ones. Narrowly escaping death. Addictions. Overdoses. Financial Ruin. Criminal Behavior. Broken hearts. Violent encounters. Tragic events. Lies. Cheating. Deception. Secrets. Secret lives. The list is endless. These are the types things you hear in your average testimony. In many cases, in the attempt to try and heed the advice given by all these motivational sayings, it leads people into all manner of destruction in their private and public lives. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about a "wise builder" as one who builds his house on a rock. Why? Because when the rain came, the stream rose and the wind blew and beat against the house, it did not fall because it was built on the rock. What can falling rain, rising water and destructive winds be compared to if not the sufferings of life. Jesus also talked about the "foolish builder" as the one who built his home on the sand. When the rain, rising water and blowing wind came, his house was destroyed because the sand could not withstand the pounding of the elements. The sand is putting your hope, faith and trust in anything, but Jesus, and constantly relying on your own self-effort to get you through those storms in life. However, when those storms blow your house down the blessing is not in trying to rebuild your home on the sand, but to turn to God and let him build your house on the rock. Sometimes giving up and letting go is the only way you can hit rock bottom. Then you will be like me and thousands of other Christians who have learned the greatest truth in life; When your life hits rock bottom, you discover that the rock is Jesus! Then maybe you will be like David when he said, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me (2 Samuel 22:2-3)." Hitting rock bottom may be the best thing that ever happens to you.