When life presents challenges, where do you find your strength? Today, I want to share with you how to live a strong life—one that’s powered by a resilient perspective and a foundation of wisdom that helps you navigate through life’s storms. This strength will provide direction, fruitfulness, and peace. After the message, join me for a conversation with my son Andy, as we dive into practical questions about prayer and discuss how to have a daily, enriching conversation with God. Next on InTouch: A Strong Life—remember, you can have a strong body but still live a weak life.

You may have a strong body, yet still, live a weak life. Conversely, you can have a strong life with a weak body. But the ultimate goal is to have both—a strong life and a strong body. While we all know what it means to have a strong body, what does it truly mean to have a strong life? In this message, we’ll explore this important question, as we’ve discussed church, family, and now the concept of a strong life.

Let’s start with a passage from the well-known Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 7. This passage perfectly illustrates what a strong life looks like. It’s a familiar scripture, but today, let’s look at it through the lens of strength and resilience.

Matthew 7:24-27: Building on a Strong Foundation

Jesus said, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the floods rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it was built on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When Jesus finished saying these words, the crowds were amazed at His teachings, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

This passage beautifully contrasts a weak life with a strong life. The strong life is one built on a solid foundation, just like a house built on rock. The storms and challenges of life will come, but those who have built their lives on the right foundation will withstand them.

We are all in the process of building our lives, no matter our age. What we are on the inside makes all the difference. People may seem to have it all together on the outside, but when storms hit—whether they’re hardships, loss, suffering, or difficult times—the foundation of their life will reveal its true strength.

Those who have built their lives on a solid foundation will weather these storms. The difference between a strong and weak life becomes evident during tough times. You can’t judge a person’s strength just by looking at them. What truly matters is how they respond when life’s storms come.

In ancient Palestine, torrential rains could cause floods, washing away anything built on weak foundations. Similarly, in life, if we haven’t built our lives on the right foundation, the challenges we face will overwhelm us. For some, this might drive them to alcohol, drugs, or other coping mechanisms. They may look strong, but when the storms come, they’ll seek something to numb the pain or temporarily strengthen them. But the only true foundation is what Jesus speaks of in this passage.

When we face trials, the real measure of a person’s strength is how they respond. A strong life isn’t about avoiding challenges but about standing firm when they come. The question is: how do we build a strong life?

It’s not a matter of “if” storms will come—it’s a matter of “when.” And when they do, they’ll reveal what we’re truly made of and where we’ve built our foundation. As a parent, it’s important to consider this as you guide your family through life’s challenges.