Luke
5:1-11
As Christians, we can
waste our lives standing on faith’s shoreline, never venturing beyond
ankle-deep water.
There we have little
need for the Lord. After all, we are safe on the beach, far from the danger of
high waves and storms. But believers who release themselves into deeper waters
of obedience need God desperately.
By casting oneself
father offshore, the Christian relinquishes control of his life. No longer can
he pretend to determine his own fate, whether in regard to career choices,
financial decisions, or church involvement. God is Captain of the boat, whereas
the believer is the obedient first mate. Will storms come? Yes. Will the
Captain at times make difficult requests? Yes. Will the first mate sometimes
feel sacred? Yes. But the surrendered believer experiences Christ more
intimately than someone on shore can; he receives a boat-load of God’s goodness
and blessings.
Most churchgoers easily
claim, “I’ve yielded my life to Christ.” To actually live out those words,
however, is more difficult. We want to cling to a measure of control in case
God doesn’t work events to our satisfaction. Too many Christians are content
merely to dip their toes into faith because they fear life might not turn out
according to their plan. But how much greater their loss will be if life
doesn’t turn out according to God’s plan. He can do much more with a
surrendered existence than a sheltered one.
The Christian life
becomes exciting when we wade into water so deep that our feet no longer touch
the bottom. Then we must stand on God’s promises.
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