There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship

The beloved pastor and teacher Charles Stanley once declared a truth as enduring as the stones of the earth: “There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you'll stand firm if you stand on His love.” In these words lies a spiritual law written not only in Scripture but in the experience of countless souls across time — that strength born of faith is unshakable, and that all other supports crumble before the winds of life. It is not wealth, knowledge, or even human affection that sustains a man when the storm comes; it is the love of Christ, deep, unyielding, and eternal.

The origin of this truth flows directly from the teachings of Jesus Himself. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ speaks of two builders — one who built his house on the rock and another on the sand. When the rain fell and the floods came, only the house on the rock stood firm. Stanley’s words echo this parable, calling each generation to build its foundation upon the rock of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For it is not religion, ritual, or mere belief that secures the soul, but relationship — a bond of trust, love, and surrender that no tempest can undo. The foundation of Christ’s love is not shaken by suffering, for it was forged through suffering — upon the Cross where He endured the storm for all humanity.

To stand upon this foundation is to know peace in the midst of chaos. Turmoil is not foreign to the faithful; indeed, it often finds them more fiercely than others. Yet the one who walks with Christ learns a different kind of strength — not the strength that resists the storm, but the strength that rests in God through it. The world promises stability through control, wealth, or power, but all these crumble beneath the weight of mortality. The soul rooted in Christ, however, draws from a deeper source — like a tree whose roots reach into living water even when the surface soil is scorched. Such a soul can whisper “hallelujah” even in the hour of loss.

Consider the story of Horatio Spafford, a man who knew suffering beyond measure. In the late nineteenth century, he lost his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire, and shortly after, his four daughters perished in a shipwreck across the Atlantic. As he sailed to join his grieving wife, passing near the waters where his children had drowned, he penned the immortal hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” Out of the deepest grief arose unshakable peace — not because the pain had lessened, but because his foundation was secure. His soul was anchored not in circumstance, but in Christ’s love, and so he could stand even while the waves of life broke around him.

Charles Stanley’s message, born of a lifetime of pastoral care, calls the weary heart to rediscover this same anchored faith. He saw in every believer the temptation to lean on lesser foundations — on reputation, relationships, or achievements — only to find them shifting sand. His teaching reminds us that faith is not escape but endurance, not denial of pain but defiance of despair. To know Christ deeply is to possess a calm the world cannot give, and to be carried through storms that would break others. The believer who stands on this foundation learns not to fear the storm, but to trust the Master who commands the sea.

This truth bears a lesson for every generation: the storms will come. Whether of loss, betrayal, illness, or doubt, none are spared. But those who build their lives upon Christ’s love will never fall, for their strength does not come from within, but from above. To cultivate such faith requires time, prayer, and surrender — daily moments of communion with God, where the heart listens more than it speaks. It means choosing trust when understanding fails, and love when bitterness tempts. Every act of faith becomes a stone in that divine foundation, each prayer a mortar that binds the soul more firmly to the eternal Rock.

Let this then be your path, O seeker of truth: build your foundation now, before the storm arrives. Deepen your relationship with Christ not only in times of need but in days of peace, so that when the winds rise, you may already stand firm. Remember that love is not merely a comfort but a fortress, not a feeling but a foundation. As Charles Stanley teaches, there is only one strength that endures all things — the love of Jesus Christ, steadfast and sure. Stand upon it, and you will stand forever — unbroken, unafraid, and unshaken by the tempests of this fleeting world.