Back in November, I was watching my pastor, Mike Baker, through the Song and Sword Church YouTube channel. When he read Matthew 7:24-25, where Jesus describes building a house on rock and the power that comes from it, “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”, something resonated with me. It sparked reflection in my head and made me consider how I handle myself when adversity strikes. After some deliberation, I landed on my faith and how I ground myself best through tough times through studying scripture and prayer. I believe all of us need to take a step back, look at our lives, and ask ourselves what is my rock?
I realize the rock looks different for everyone. For some it’s meditation, time with family and friends, exercise, creative outlets like painting or drawing, or something else entirely. The key is finding that healthy thing you can rely on to power through hard times.
There is a second half to that verse that is equally important. Matthew 7:26-27, talks about the element of sand. In short, Jesus encourages people to be careful and to not build their house on sand, as the house would then crumble. When it comes to finding one’s rock, this scripture serves as good wisdom for everyone regardless of your religious beliefs: it’s important to make sure that how you respond to stress and struggles is reliable, secure, and healthy. Simply put, if whatever you decide to do to handle the hard times doesn’t check all those boxes, then it’s sand and not rock.
Without a solid rock, people facing adversity and enduring rough patches in their lives may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Some numb themselves with drugs and alcohol, stress-eat or undereat, become angry or aggressive, withdraw socially, or even choose to do nothing at all to make themselves feel better. Nobody is perfect, but we all have the power to differentiate between rock and sand.
Most importantly, it’s crucial not to be shy about both the problems we’re facing and how we’re handling them. That is not to say that is is not difficult. Some studies show 30-40% of people self-report as introverts that like to keep to themselves, and part of human nature is fear of judgement that naturally influences every decision we make. Even so, it’s beneficial for us to open up and receive support from others because when we do, it can serve as a light for others to open up about their adversity and receive the help they need.
The storms will come. The rain will fall, the streams will rise, and the winds will blow against the house we build. The question is not whether we will face the hard times; it’s whether we will have built something stron enough to withstand them. If we can normalize openly talking about our daily struggles, if we can help each other distinguish rock from sand, then perhaps we can begin to address our mental health crisis not with stigma and silence, but with honesty and support. This will allow all of us to have conscious foundations of a rock, and avoid being built off of sand.