My kids love to play in the water. Swimming pools, lakes, creeks, small rivers, and especially the ocean.
I can remember being a kid and playing in my grandparents’ creek. It was shallow and there were a ton of crawl dads. It was a good time, but really, we just wadded around in the mostly still water.
I can also remember going to the river for float trips. My siblings and cousins and I loved riding the “rapids” down and then walking ourselves back up to do it again. But… in the river we always had to wear a lifejacket… no mater how deep or shallow the water was because the undercurrents were unpredictable.
The Lake! Oh, the lake! I loved the lake because it was like a swimming pool with random waves!
But the ocean! That was even better because it was unlike anything else around the Mid-west! Waves and salt water and more waves. Literally I could have spent all day jumping into the waves and playing in that salt water. But every time I would look up… and I mean every time, I would realize I drifted down shore… a lot. My beach chair and towel marked my starting point well… and sometimes that starting point looked very small. Sometimes I could push myself back while still in the water…but most of the time, I had to actually get out and walk on the sand back to about 40 feet before my original entry point.
There’s something about those currents. Those ups and downs. We expect them. We look forward to them. But we have to know how to navigate them.
Life is full of ups and downs too. Life’s currents can take us for a ride, good or bad. It is going to happen. But we have to be prepared. Do we need a life jacket? Do we need to keep an open eye out for waves? Or are we planning on riding those waves and need to keep our eyes fixed on the marker?
I don’t know what type of water you are in, but I can tell you, you have an anchor- Jesus! Isaiah 43:2 “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
The Bible uses the imagery because we can relate to it! We know what it is like to go through deep water and rivers of difficulty. We know the thrills that can leads us astray, and we know the joys that come from riding an unexpected wave.
However, you never were asked to go through these waters alone. You have Jesus. You have the body. And you can equip yourself with lifejackets, life preservers, anchors, and the like.
Equipping yourself spiritually? What does that look like? Well, being part of the body of Christ. Fellowshipping. Attending services. Praying. Reading your Bible. Being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Serving. Giving. Loving as Christ.
Life will not always be easy, but life with Christ will always be worth it!