Many of my friends find their identity in sports. Others, like myself, find their identity in how well they do in school. I know others who base who they are in what they do, how they look, or who likes them and who doesn't. The point is, we all build our lives on something. We all have something that matters to us more than anything else and defines who we are. And while God intends for friends, hobbies, possessions and abilities to provide us with enjoyment, we should not let them become the foundation of our identity and happiness. 

 

Jesus used an analogy to describe this. He told a story about two men, one who built his house on sand and one who built his house on a rock. When storms came, the rock propped up the wise man's house. The sand foundation, however, allowed the foolish man's house to be washed away and destroyed.

 

The rock in this story represents Jesus, who is always there. He is always solid and consistent -- a reliable foundation for us. The sand represents other worldly things. Some "sand," such as drugs and alcohol, can destroy your life. Other sand, such as athletic achievement, social acceptance and possessions can be great things that God created for our enjoyment, but we can take them too far and place too much importance on them. And all of them, unlike God, will fail us. For instance, you can have a bad day on Xbox Live (as I did a few days ago) and drop from a 24 to an 18 in Halo 2. You can get injured in a football game. A friend can let you down. God is the only permanent source of life, and life to the full.