Water in the Ship

 

The famous preacher D.L. Moody once said, “The place for the ship is in the sea, but God help the ship if the sea gets into it.” That succinct quote is easy to understand. Ships are made for the very purpose of being in the water. A boat that isn’t afloat is not fulfilling its reason to exist. We also understand the problem when water starts to find its way into the ship. While ships were made to be in the water, they were not made to retain it. A ship that takes in water will eventually sink. 

 

But Moody’s point was not to make us think about ships, but Christians. We are the ships in his illustration, and the world is the sea. We were made by God and put into this world for a purpose. According to the famous catechism, that purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. According to Scripture, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created (Revelation 4:11),” and “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).” We were created by God and for God.

 

We live in this world, but we are not to be of this world. When interceding for the disciples, Jesus said, “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:15-16).” Christians, like a ship in the sea, are meant to be in the world. But just as the sea is not supposed to get into the ship, the world is not supposed to get into us. What does that look like? 

 

The world getting into Christians means the world influences us in such a way that our thinking, beliefs, and actions begin to bend towards the world’s system. Rather than being molded by God’s Word, we let the world shape our worldview. Once we begin to take in water, it is only a matter of time until we sink. At first it is only a little water—a small compromise or two that we justify and excuse as “no big deal.” But one compromise eventually gives way to another, and then another. Before we know it, there is standing water in the ship, and we are a little closer to the waterline. Many lives that have been ruined by sin were tragedies over time, not sudden catastrophes. 

 

If your ship is taking in water, you need to repent right away. Don’t let it take you down. 

 

 

 

 

A Tangled Web

Dr. Charles Lowry, a pastor, psychologist, and author, has written about the behavior patterns of those who practice deception. He shared a humorous story about a lady that bumped into him at a grocery store when he was a pastor in Dallas. She raved about what a great man of God he is, and as her proof she cited that her husband has to be at work at 6:30 AM, and he drove by the church on his way and saw the pastor’s car already in the parking lot. This lady thought her pastor was so spiritual for being at the church so early.

Faced with a decision, Dr. Lowry humbly thanked her for the compliment and chose not to tell her that he had carpooled home with his wife the night before and that she drove him to the church that morning at 9:00. That moment of deception led him to continue digging himself into a deeper hole.

He became worried that if his car was not in the parking lot at 6:30 each morning, he would not appear to be as spiritual. After all, he is a great man of God. He began to use his energy to find ways to leave his car at the church over night more often, using his wife and the youth pastor as his chauffeurs. His strange behavior began to alienate the pastor from those around him, and his important duties were being neglected in pursuit of the impression of holiness.

While I imagine that story was embellished for comedic effect, the principle applies. When we practice deception we waste so much time and mental energy trying to keep up the lie. We often engage in strange behavior during this charade, alienating ourselves from the people around us. It is so much easier to just come clean, but we often times delay the process in our stubbornness.    

In his poem Marmion, Walter Scott famously wrote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” The deceiver expends his energy having to remember what he has told everyone, and before long, he has himself tangled in a web of his own lies.

The Bible offers a simpler way of living. It is called honesty. Not only is it the Ninth Commandment, Colossians 3:9 further instruct, “ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” Honesty is not the best policy, it should be the only policy.

Special Relationships

In nature there are many special relationships, called symbiotic relationships, between different species. In some of these relationships the partnership mutually benefits both parties; these partnerships are known as mutualism. Evolution's answer to mutualism is simply that these creatures evolved together, but that answer is not sufficient.

Consider the clown fish and the sea anemone. Sea anemone defend themselves by stinging with their tentacles, but clown fish have a special mucus that protects them from the sting. Clown fish find protection, then, living among the tentacles of the sea anemone, which in turn finds protection from the butterfly fish that eat anemones (and the anemone benefits by eating the waste from the clown fish). How did the special mucus evolve in the clown fish? After seeing other fish get stung, how did the clown fish figure out a recipe to protect itself? Did it magically get it right the first time, or was it stung repeatedly until it finally got the mucus right? And if evolution is true, why is the clown fish the only fish that has developed this beneficial mucus?

The crocodile and plover bird are another example. The croc is unable to brush and floss, and over time the build up of decayed food causes pain. Whenever he feels the urge, the croc will open his mouth wide and wait; when the plover sees the invitation it will land in the croc's mouth and pick out the food around their teeth. The bird gets a good meal and the reptile gets a good cleaning. The most unusual part of the relationship is that the plover flies safely away although nothing prevents the crocodile from eating the bird. Survival of the fittest should result in the bird becoming dinner, not a dentist. How did the first croc know all it had to do was open its mouth and wait for help? How did the first plover know it could trust the croc, safely feed from the croc, and that the croc sought its help to begin with?

These questions cannot be answered by evolution, but they do point to an intelligent Creator. His name is Jesus.

 For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

Growth Chart

When I was younger I was always concerned with being taller. I wanted to grow—I wanted a longer wingspan, I wanted to be at least 6’4, and I wanted to put on weight.

My love for basketball was responsible for my desire to grow. I was a big fan of Nick Anderson, who was the first player ever drafted by my favorite team, the Orlando Magic. My brother and I had a life-size cutout of the shooting guard in his white #25 jersey, and I remember charting our growth progress next to him.

As a shooting guard myself, I knew that my measurements had to be close to Nick Anderson’s 6’6, 205 lb. frame if I were going to make it to the NBA. I surpassed my desired height (barely), and eventually eclipsed the 205 mark; unfortunately, there is more to being a professional athlete than just the measuring tape.

But the truth is my height came as the result of my genetic makeup—my dad is 6’4—and not the result of my will or determination. No matter how hard I tried, I could not add an inch to my stature.

But that is not the case when it comes to growing spiritually. Colossians 2:7 tells us to be “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Being “built up” refers to growing; we may stop having growth spurts at some point, but we should never stop growing in the faith. The difference here is that the amount we grow in the faith is totally up to us; this is not left up to genetics, but to the amount of work we are willing to put in.

We need to have the desire to grow—the same desire that makes an NBA-driven kid want to get taller. With that desire, we can pray for God’s Spirit to lead us into truth, then open His Word and begin to learn. We also need to be faithful to our local churches and anywhere else the Gospel is taught. And don’t be afraid to ask questions from those who are more spiritually mature.

I hope you will hit a growth spurt today. 

Ambassadors

The role of an ambassador is interesting. Ambassadors literally lose their identity while they are on the job because they officially represent someone or something else. The United States sends ambassadors to most countries, and these ambassadors speak on behalf of the President and our country.

Do you think an ambassador goes into a meeting with a king, president, or other form of government and just “wings it?” No, an official ambassador says only what he has been instructed to say. And his instructions come straight from the top.

Failure to properly communicate the message from the White House can result in confusion, strained relationships with allies, and greater distance between enemies.

Those of us who are believers in Jesus are His ambassadors. Colossians 3:17 instructs us, “and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Everything we do represents the Lord Jesus. This is why we cannot try to simply wing it when it comes to life; we need to follow our instructions, which come straight from the top. God’s Word, the Bible, tells us all that we need for a life of godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

When we fail to represent God the right way, we can confuse people. This can result in being a stumbling block for young believers, and it can be a turn off for non-believers.

Losing our temper, choosing not to forgive, using unwholesome language, being dishonest—these are all things the Scriptures forbid. When we are guilty of these things, we misrepresent our Lord.

I am not calling for flawless living. But what happens when we acknowledge our mistakes? When we go back and apologize, this models humility, love, grace, and a number of other things that God calls us to display. So even our mistakes, if handled the right way, can serve as a good representation of God.

Ambassadors, we have been given a clear mission: to represent the greatest Being in the universe. Get your instructions and go represent your Lord Jesus.  

What's on Your Mind?

When we ask somebody what’s on their mind, we mean, “What are you thinking about?” Typically when we ask this we can see that the person is in deep thought or they have asked for advice on something.

“Ok. What’s on your mind?”

“You look like you’re thinking about something. What’s on your mind?”

I don’t know if you are contemplating something right now, but I will ask you anyway: What’s on your mind? I’m not referring to a decision that might be weighing on you; I’m talking about your perspective.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things of earth.” This passage is referring to our perspective in life, whether we are focused on eternity or on the temporary.

When a person is focused on the temporary—the things of earth—he makes decisions based on the immediate. Choices are made that bring happiness or pleasure to himself, with little regard to the future. He becomes stingy with money, he keeps the gospel message to himself, and he focuses on meeting his own needs.

When a person is focused on the eternal—the things above—he makes decisions based on the bigger picture. Choices are made that bring honor and glory to God, with little regard to the present. He becomes generous with money, he shares the gospel message with everyone, and he focuses on meeting others’ needs.

So what’s on your mind? Is your mind focused on the eternal things of heaven or on the temporal things of earth?