Paul and several other prisoners were placed on a ship as they traveled to Rome. When they started, the weather was favorable, the ship was loaded with cargo, and everything was going as it should. But then things changed. What started out as a small breeze ended up as a typhoon. When faced with the prospect of being shipwrecked, the crew jettisoned everything--cargo, anchors, lifeboats, food, etc. This was done so as to lighten the boat and stabilize it. Their ship eventually ran aground on an island. The vessel was a wreck, but the people were saved.
Imagine your life as a large boat filled with everything that is important to you--relationships, health, wealth, security, dreams, identity. You are at the helm of this ship, sailing in the direction you want under favorable conditions. Suddenly things change. You are caught up in a storm. Life becomes unmanageable. You have very few options. Everything you have been depending on thus far has to be abandoned to God. How hard is that!
Our human instinct is to cling to all that we hold dear rather than to surrender everything to God. Even when we are drowning, we are reluctant to give up control. Yet, we were never in control. We were just standing at the helm of a ship that was always being propelled by the wind of the Spirit. We were always under His power. Once we realize this, it becomes easier to rely on God completely. Every part of our lives belongs to Him, is controlled by Him, and protected by Him. We are not in charge. He is. We just have to listen and follow directions. When we learn to trust God, the self-imposed pressure to navigate and keep our life intact is finally removed.
“Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.” (Proverbs 28:26 NLT)
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