Staying safe is easy but there are no rewards and there are no challenges.
Just like the quote in the picture, you can buy a big beautiful boat; keep it all shiny and attractive. People can come by the dock and admire it. They will want to touch it, ask if they can come aboard and see all of the knobs and gadgets. Run their fingers across the leather seats and reach up to brush against the sails. They will pummel you with all kinds of questions about boating and you would be proud to share your knowledge of the sea or lake.
Then they ask the inevitable, “How many times have you taken her out on the water? How does she handle during a storm? What is your favorite part of sailing?”
And standing there beaming, you reply, “Oh, I have never unleashed her from the dock! She has never left the port!”
As proud as you are of her beauty, you are too afraid to take her from your comfort zone, too terrified to take that first step.
She is safe in the port, she won’t get scuffed up, her sails won’t get wet, her lines won’t get tangled, and the anchor won’t get stuck.
Never will you have to worry about a storm coming up. You are secure…at home…where she belongs.
Many times we are just like that sailor and his precious boat. We live in our sailboats (or houseboats), safety nets and comfort zones, all secure and tucked away, happy as clams as long as no one asks us to do anything that would rock our boat.
But is that any way to LIVE?
Furthermore, is that the way Jesus would have us to LIVE?
According to His Word, it is just the opposite.
He told Peter to “…feed my sheep…” John 21:17.
When He appeared to the eleven disciples, He admonished them to “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15.
Paul was walking on the Damascus road when He encountered Jesus and their conversation went something like this: “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” Acts 9:3-6 NIV.
Does that mean we have to drop what we are doing, sell everything we have and go walk the streets shouting, “Jesus Saves”?
What it means is; where is your heart? Where is your desire? Are you hiding in your houseboat, behind your safety net and fluffy comfort zone? Praying that Jesus doesn’t come and require too much of you?
Friend, we have it so made in the shade!
I am preaching to myself when I say we need to step out of our little worlds and take a look around and see what we could be doing different to impact this literal creation that God has given us to care for. Living and breathing human beings that will spend eternity somewhere. We just might be the only Jesus they ever have a chance to come in contact with.
Let’s not leave Him at home in our houseboat.
Under our safety net.
Hidden in our comfort zone.
Get that boat out on the water!
Let’s take Him with us and share Him with our world.
Sharing with fellowship fridays, Sunday Stillness
Me too Carrie! So happy to have you here and join in with you every day at SRT. ♥
Wow, this was great! So often, I am wanting to stay in the safe zone and even more, keep my children in that zone too. I know what I need to work on and teach them. This was a great reminder. Thanks for an excellent post. Blessings, Carrie (from SRT community)
He did have the guts to take the first step didn’t he?! I want to get out too, don’t want to miss what God has for me. And I would love to read your poem ♥
Bless your heart Ruth! God is good to show up on time and speak to us through so many different ways. I see India in my stats quite often and am happy to know it is not SPAM, lol!!! Blessings to you my faraway friend! ♥
So happy it was a blessing, Cheryl. God always knows just what we need. Love what you said that “No place is as comfortable as Heaven…” Wonderful thoughts ♥
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Peter only walked on water when he got out of the boat. Yes, he started to sink when he took his eyes of off Jesus, but initially he had the courage to climb out and follow Him.
I am a notorious boat-sitter. In real life, I tend to get seasick. So I suppose the same thing can happen when we stay *stuck* in spiritual inertia.
Good word picture. Great lesson.
GOD BLESS!
(You know, I wrote a poem once about Peter and the idea of getting out of the boat. I’ll have to find that again…)
i gotta get my boat out. this was meant for me -every line! Thank you Nannette!! What a blessing to stop by here today and hear Him speak to my heart through these lines. Thank you for being His instrument to reach me today. Lots of love, hugs and blessings from India….
Ruth
Oh, boy! Did I ever need to read this today! It is not easy to step out and take a leap of faith, not even knowing where our foot will land. It is not easy to put ourselves out there, but nothing about the Christian life is easy. Nothing about Jesus’ life was easy…talk about stepping out of His comfort zone. No place is a comfortable as Heaven, yet, He left there to put Himself “out here” for us…to make Himself vulnerable to the jeopardies of being human. So, God forgive me for not wanting to follow His lead. We walk by faith, not by sight, and sometimes we don’t even know our very next step. But, one thing we do know is that He is faithful. And in order for the disciples to reap that bountiful harvest of fish, they had to break loose from the shore line, launch out into the deep, and cast down their nets….pun intended. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this edifying post and what God has laid upon your heart. I, for one, desperately needed this.