When the Floor Gives Way:
What Foundation Are You Standing On?
In 1994, President Bill Clinton stood before the nation and declared that every American should have the right to own a home—a noble vision of the American Dream. But anyone who has ever owned a house knows the truth behind the dream: ownership is one thing; maintenance is everything. It’s not long after the keys are handed over that reality sets in—pest control, plumbing leaks, roof repairs, foundation cracks. A home isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it investment; it requires vigilance, care, and the willingness to dig deep when something feels off.
That lesson became very real for me in December of 2024. After a long, rainy fall made worse by two hurricanes, I noticed something off in the middle of our living room floor. The once-smooth hardwood was starting to bow upward. I figured maybe someone had spilled a drink that had seeped through the rug and into the wood, but the floor wasn’t damp to the touch. I waited. I hoped. I watched. But over time, the bow in the floor grew, and something deep inside told me we were dealing with more than just a cosmetic issue.
What followed was a months-long unravelling of hidden issues—termite nests, soft and rotted wood, and eventually the painful discovery of massive foundation cracks, some stretching over 12 feet. These weren’t just random breaks. The experts told us they were caused by years of subtle, almost imperceptible shifting of sediment under the house. Movement I couldn’t see. Pressure I didn’t feel. But the damage was unmistakable.
The Spiritual Parallel We Can’t Ignore
As I stood in that gutted living room, staring down into the exposed foundation of our home, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV):
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”'
It’s one thing to quote that verse in a sermon or hang it on a wall. It’s another to live through the metaphor. The storms came, the pressure built, and my house—my real, physical house—revealed where it had been weakened over time.
And here’s the truth: most of us don’t want to face the truth; without Jesus, we have cracks in our foundation.
Some of us have covered them up with beautiful hardwood. We’ve put rugs over the damage. We’ve convinced ourselves that if we don’t look at it too closely, it might go away. But time doesn’t heal what hasn’t been exposed and addressed. Storms don’t create cracks; they reveal them.
What Is Your Life Built On?
The question that keeps echoing in my heart is this: What am I really standing on? Is my life built on the Word of God, on intimacy with Christ, on the immovable truth of the gospel? Or is it built on performance, approval, reputation, and human effort?
When Jesus talks about building your house on the rock, He isn’t giving a nice metaphor for Christian living—He’s laying down the most critical truth of your existence. He’s saying, “If your life isn’t anchored in Me, it won’t survive the pressure.” And friend, pressure is guaranteed. The rain will fall. The winds will blow—the sediment beneath your life will shift.
Let me give you three practical, grounding truths that you can apply today to inspect and reinforce the foundation of your life:
1. Check for Cracks Early and Often
Scripture: 'Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test! -2 Corinthians 13:5
You don’t notice foundation cracks unless you look for them. Spiritually, this means regular self-examination, not just superficial assessment. It’s easy to say, “I’m fine,” or “God is good,” when things look good on the outside. But what if we started asking deeper questions like:
Where am I resisting God’s voice in my life?
Are there areas where sin is quietly rotting the structure of my soul?
Am I avoiding intimacy with Jesus in favor of spiritual activity?
You can’t fix what you refuse to face. Just like I had to tear up flooring to see what was underneath, we need the courage to peel back the layers of our own hearts. You’re not doing this to punish yourself — you’re doing it to protect what matters most.
2. Invite the Right Experts In
Scripture: “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22 (ESV)
I didn’t try to handle the termite problem or the foundation crack on my own. I called in experts. They diagnosed what I couldn’t. Spiritually, this is a call to community. To pastors. To mentors. To trusted friends who won’t just tell you what you want to hear but what you need to hear.
We were never meant to build or repair our lives in isolation. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us that we are to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… encouraging one another.” The Christian life is a construction site—it’s dusty, it’s noisy, it’s in process—and it’s meant to be lived alongside others doing the same kind of heart work.
Don’t let pride or shame keep you from inviting others in. You’re not weak for needing help. You’re wise.
3. Rebuild on the Rock, Not Just the Surface
Scripture: “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”– 1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV)
After we discovered the damage, we didn’t just lay new flooring over a broken foundation. That would’ve been not very smart. We had to go to the root of the issue. And then, we rebuilt.
Some of you have been trying to patch spiritual problems with surface solutions. You’re trying to paint over brokenness with positivity. You’re trying to drown out anxiety with productivity. But Jesus is not interested in surface-level makeovers—He wants to rebuild your life from the foundation up.
That might mean counselling. It might mean a hard conversation. It might mean repentance. But it always means surrender. Not just to the idea of Christ, but to the authority of Christ. His Word. His way. His pace.
Final Thoughts: Let the Cracks Lead You to Christ
I didn’t want to deal with the damage in my house. It was costly. It was inconvenient. It was disruptive. But in hindsight, I’m thankful because the exposure of those cracks taught me something deeper about the cracks in me.
Friend, you’re not alone in the damage. You’re not the only one who feels like the floor beneath you is unstable. But you don’t have to live in fear of collapse. You can rebuild—on Jesus.
He is the Cornerstone rejected by men but chosen by God (1 Peter 2:6). He is the Rock that never moves, never shifts, never breaks under pressure.
So, if your life feels shaky right now, don’t panic. Start digging. Start inspecting. And start rebuilding—with Jesus at the center.
Because here’s the good news: when your foundation is Christ, the storms may come, but you will still stand.
“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”– Psalm 62:6 (ESV)
Now check your foundation. And if it’s cracked, don’t cover it up—Christ is more than capable of rebuilding what’s broken.
If you are interested in exploring your journey to overcoming burnout, building resilience, and thriving in life, visit https://theelevatecollective.co and schedule a complimentary call. You can also go to my Instagram page @chrisstephen3 and DM me 'RESET’ and I will send you a free resource on how to beat burnout and build resilience.