Swimming Against the Current

Like many American families, our family loves to go to the beach. My wife enjoys the pool more, but my kids and I love the ocean. The ocean is very powerful and can be dangerous at times. When we go out into the ocean, I try to keep everyone lined up with where our towels, beach chairs, flip flops, etc. are located on the beach. What happens is that as we are swimming and playing in the ocean, the current starts to pull us away from our entry point into the ocean. I will periodically look back toward the beach and get everyone moved back to where are things are located. It does not take long to get pulled down the beach. Trying to move against the current is tough. The power of the ocean current is trying to move you in a direction that you do not want to go. It takes a great deal of effort to swim against the current. It is the same way when trying to swim or wade upstream in a river. It is almost impossible. The same can be said about our walk with God. The world, in which we live, pulls us away from the life that God would intend us to live. Jesus had a different way of describing this situation in Matthew 7:13-14 when he said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What does that mean? Well, if you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and can go through life with minimal resistance, then you are not swimming against the current. You are rolling right along with it and you might not be where you think you are spiritually. That road leads to destruction. Too many of those in the church have chosen the path of least resistance. It is easier to “go with the flow.” Not only do we have to worry about the world pulling us in the wrong direction, but our own flesh pulls us in the wrong direction. Paul described this in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 when he said, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. It is not enough for us just to acknowledge or recognize the sin in our lives. WE MUST OF REPENT OUR SINS DAILY.  We will never master our flesh on this side of eternity, so we must fight against our sinful desires. This happens through a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus. It happens through reading His Word and recognizing and praying for help in conquering areas of our lives that we struggle with. God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us in this.  I want to put everyone at ease. . . . .We all struggle. The awesome thing is that grace and mercy abound in our Lord and Savior. I am not giving free gift certificates to sin. I am simply stated that ALL of us are on a spiritual journey and some of those in the church need to stop acting like they have it all together and have all the answers. We need to be honest with each other. We struggle. We fall. We are on the mountaintop at times and we tumble down into the valley at other times. Some people in the church (especially leaders) are scared to admit that they struggle with life and have faults. Someone might not think that they are spiritual if they did.  Paul reminds us in Romans 3:10, “As it is written, there is no one righteous, not even one.” We all have things that we need to work on in our spiritual lives. It’s not easy to swim against the current. The world thinks you’re weird for going in a different direction. Fewer people swim against the current. It can be lonely, tiring, and discouraging at times. We need fellow believers to encourage us and to help us on our journey. Here is another thing that is really helpful: Everything that either you have gone through, are going through, or will go through, Jesus went through. He felt abandoned. He was ridiculed. He suffered loss. Etc. He tells us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." He overcame the world. What do we have to be afraid of if the King of kings overcame the world? My youngest son is a bit of a daredevil. When we swim in the ocean, he likes to ram into the waves like he is breaking them apart. He also likes to swim out as far as I will let him (I am always very close to him). He is just having fun and not paying any attention to how the current is pulling him. I tell him to swim back to me if he starts to get to far away. Even at his young age, he has a choice to listen to me or not. However, if he does not listen, destruction could be waiting. I might not be able to help if a big wave crashed down on him or something like that. Don’t walk too close to the line where obedience ends and sin begins. You could get pulled in the wrong direction without even knowing it. Just like I try to line us up with our things on the beach, align yourself with the Word of God. It will keep you focused on God as the current of the world tries to sweep you away.

 

Finger on the pulse. . . . . .

 

Todd Johnson