“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Matthew 7: 24-25 NKJV

Russell King and Dr. Lebron Lackey, the homeowners of one of the few houses left standing in Mexico Beach, Florida, following Hurricane Michael, say when they built their homes they kept asking themselves what would survive ‘The Big One’  (CNN Published on 16 Oct 2018).

When asked, “Why did your building survive?” They answered, “We paid attention to details from ground up, and we went above and beyond the stipulated community code and official standards.” Every house in the area was designed to withstand 140km/hr wind but they built theirs to withstand 250km/hr wind and it only cost them 20% more than an average household. 

The difference between the wise man and the foolish man is what they built on. They both built something and they both experienced challenges. What sustained the wise man is the principles he built on. What are you building on? What are the guiding principles of your life? What are the values that inspire your decisions and motivate your choices? Is your life running on sound principles of honesty, diligence, hard work, integrity, thoughtfulness, patience, faith, love, respect for others, sanctity of life, tolerance, forgiveness, faithfulness; or are you living by the dictate of your personal convenience?