by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
Since pre-K, math has been Liam’s favorite subject and, for years, his strongest. Then something shifted near the end of first grade when reading and English suddenly became difficult without an obvious cause. It wasn’t until December of his third-grade year that we discovered he was color-blind and could not see the color-coded literacy lessons on the board, on his paper, or on his computer. For two years, my boy had been trying to learn to read and comprehend purely by listening.
By the grace of God, he never failed, but I watched the slow decline and couldn’t understand why. Now that his work is in black and white, his math has begun to falter — not because he cannot do it but because of something far more familiar to both of us: stubbornness. Division has exposed the gaps in his multiplication facts, especially sixes, eights, and nines, the very ones he decided during football season were not worth learning. Instead of working the problem, he guesses, writes down an answer, and turns the paper in within minutes.
To a mama who struggled with math herself and who spent decades in a classroom preaching diligence and excellence, the frustration has been real. He is content with “good enough,” while I hear my father’s voice in my own heart declaring that a foundation must be strong if anything is going to stand. Liam does not yet see that everything in math from this point forward depends on what he is refusing to learn now. Without the foundation, he cannot move forward.
So we drill. We practice. We write multiplication facts before school, after school, and even at the church table on Wednesday night. Because in this house there are two truths he must learn: a foundation must be established in order to build, and stubbornness, if left unchecked, will always lead to rebellion.
It was not until baseball was placed on the line that he finally listened. His teacher has said since August, “Work the problem out on paper,” but he never heard her because he did not yet care. The moment his desire met his difficulty, he suddenly slowed down, picked up the scratch paper, and began solving the problems correctly. His motivation changed his obedience.
And as I sat there at the desk with my nine-year-old, the Holy Spirit whispered, You have done the same thing.
How many times did I run to the Father only when I found myself in trouble? How often did I ask Him to rescue me from the consequences of my own pride and rebellion? In His mercy He met me every time, yet I was still trying to build a life without a foundation.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24–27 became my mirror: the wise man builds his house on the rock, and the foolish man builds on sand. In 2015, when my own stubbornness left me stripped of everything and poor in spirit, I finally came to the Rock. What has been built since then — purpose, calling, ministry, motherhood, writing — has only stood because it is being built on Him.
Over the last eleven years, He has laid one stone at a time, teaching me obedience where I once chose my own way. The plans He has established are far better than anything I could have orchestrated for myself, because “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). What I once resisted has become the very thing that sustains me.
So now I ask you, as I ask myself: have you learned the lesson of a nine-year-old? Are you still rushing through the test, guessing at answers, and hoping for a passing grade in your spiritual life? Or have you slowed down long enough to build on the Rock?
Because the foundation is not optional.
And neither is obedience.
A Call to Repentance and Return
So let me ask you gently, but truthfully: why do we keep rushing past the very thing that will hold us steady? Why do we live in such hurry and haste, building our lives on sand, when the Rock is standing before us?
The call of Christ is not simply to believe — it is to return. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:5). To repent is not shame; it is invitation. It is the turning of the heart back to the One who loved us first.
Stubbornness says, I will do this in my time.
Surrender says, God’s will be done.
Surrender is the holy inverse of stubbornness. It is the laying down of our striving, our delay, our excuses, and even our carefully guarded aspirations at the feet of the King. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).
Give up your aspiration for the Kingdom. Lay down the hurried life that keeps you from obedience. Turn back to your first love, because He is not asking for perfection — He is asking for your heart.
The time is short. Each day brings us closer to the moment we will see Him face to face — whether when He calls us home or when He returns in the air in glory. “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Will He be your firm foundation today? Will you build your life on the Rock now — not tomorrow, not when it is convenient, not when the consequences come? Or are you content to risk putting Jesus off for one more day… one more hour… one more second?
He is calling you back even now.
Come out of the hurry.
Come out of the guessing.
Come out of the sand.
Come back to the Rock.
Lord Jesus,
I come before You and turn my heart back to You.
Forgive me for the places where I have been stubborn, hurried, and content to build my life on sand instead of on the Rock. Break every pattern of delay and every excuse that keeps me from full obedience to Your voice. Teach me to slow down and to walk in step with You. Lay a firm foundation in my life that cannot be shaken, and form in me a heart that not only hears Your Word but does what You say. I surrender my will, my plans, and my aspirations for the sake of Your Kingdom. You are my first love and my only true security. I do not want to put You off for one more day or one more moment. Be my foundation today and every day, and build in me a life that brings You glory.In Your holy name,
Amen.
Scripture for Further Study
A) Building on the Right Foundation
- Matthew 7:24–27 – The wise and foolish builders
- Luke 6:46–49 – Hearing and doing His words
- 1 Corinthians 3:11 – No foundation but Jesus Christ
- Psalm 127:1 – Unless the Lord builds the house
B) Obedience vs. Stubbornness
- James 1:22–25 – Be doers of the word
- 1 Samuel 15:22–23 – Obedience is better than sacrifice; rebellion as divination
- John 14:15 – If you love Me, you will keep My commandments
- Deuteronomy 5:33 – Walk in obedience so it may go well with you
C) Repentance & Returning to Your First Love
- Revelation 2:4–5 – Return to your first love
- Joel 2:12–13 – Return to Me with all your heart
- Acts 3:19 – Repent and turn back
- Hosea 14:1–2 – Return to the Lord
D) Surrender Instead of Self-Will
- Romans 12:1–2 – Living sacrifice
- James 4:7–10 – Submit yourselves to God
- Galatians 2:20 – Crucified with Christ
- Proverbs 3:5–6 – Trust in the Lord, not your own understanding
E) The Urgency of the Hour
- Psalm 90:12 – Number our days
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 – Now is the day of salvation
- Romans 13:11–12 – The hour has come to wake from sleep
- James 4:14 – Your life is a mist
F) Growth & Sanctification Over Time
- Philippians 1:6 – He will complete the work
- Colossians 2:6–7 – Rooted and built up in Him
- Hebrews 12:11 – Discipline yields righteousness
- 2 Peter 3:18 – Grow in grace
Reflection Questions
- Where am I guessing instead of obeying?
- What area of my life is being built on sand?
- What would surrender look like today?
- Have I returned to my first love — or just to religious activity?
Today I will slow down, work the problem with Him, and build my life on the only foundation that always gives the right answer — Jesus Christ.
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The Aging English Major 