Pump It Up! Live Elated, Not Deflated Through Disappointing Daysნიმუში

Treasure your Captain

Our greatest treasure is found in our relationship with Jesus, our Captain. When things we have relied too heavily on (even without realising it) are taken away, it can reveal what our faith and confidence have actually been placed in. For the first time since I was fifteen, I experienced a period of unemployment. I realised that I had put more of my identity in having a job and earning money than I had thought. I had to address issues of pride that I didn’t even know I had, and face up to feeling like a failure for not bringing in any cash to contribute to our family. I had moments of real sadness, despair, loneliness, frustration, and anger at God. The dinghy days taught me that I am not as self-sufficient as I had previously thought I was.

Throughout the dinghy days, God kept us financially afloat and strengthened my faith, though admittedly with many ups and downs. He helped me view my challenges as an opportunity to grow to know him more. Jesus is our true treasure. He is always faithful, good, full of mercy and compassion. He never fails. He is all-sufficient, all-powerful, and has everything in hand. He is true to his word, and he has good things planned in advance for us to do, that no redundancy, global pandemic, or any other circumstance can prevent. He is not surprised by what each of us is facing, but gives us the strength to endure every trial.

He has not deserted us to a dinghy, but is lying right there next to us in all our questions and frustrations, asking us to trust him despite life feeling confusing and unclear. Jesus, our Captain, is at the helm whether we feel, see, or believe that or not. When we are sailing in rough seas and struggling to see a way through the storm, Jesus is holding all things together - including us.

It can be tempting in our dinghy days to focus on what we do not have - so for me, it was tempting to constantly fixate on my lack of employment and my lack of direction in life. We all have the choice to either focus on our struggles and what we lack, or instead to fix our thoughts on the incredible treasure we do have, the greatest of that treasure being our incredible Captain, Jesus.

Reflection

What do you treasure the most about being a Christian? Do you trust and treasure your Captain?