Sail On

When we’re young and full of energy, or older but still ready to take on the day, we find ourselves eager to say, “Sail on!” Other times life forces us to pull our boat or ship to shore and rest awhile. What we do while we rest will determine when and if we’re ready to set sail again.

Life is a lot like sailing the open seas. Sometimes there are blue skies and calm water. Other times the storm on the sea is strong and the waves threaten to undo us. Where we look for help in tough times affects how we handle the winds and waves pouring over us.

I love Hebrews 12:1-2 where we’re reminded, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”.

Lay aside every weight. Sometimes the weight on our shoulders is heavy, and we feel too weary to travel further. Thankfully, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We’re urged to throw off the weighty things of this world and go to Jesus for rest.

When life’s waves threaten to swamp our boat, we need the Lord to help us. We may even need to dock our ship awhile, be still, and learn from our Lord. And when He knows we’re ready, the time will come for us to raise anchor, and sail on.

Where Do We Sail?

Deciding to set sail is a good thing, if we know where we’re going and why we’re going there. Resting in the harbor is a great time to remember what the journey is all about. Time with the Lord in His word allows Him to speak to our hearts, helps us know our Master better, and prepares us to trust Him more fully each mile of the way ahead.

The question of where we sail is like the philosophical question, “Why are we here?” We need an answer to that question in order to have direction in our lives.

Recently I heard a quote by D. A. Carson. It speaks to the importance of sailing with purpose.

“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.  We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.“

Drifting will not get us where we need to go. Instead, we need to sail with purpose towards the Holy God Who made us.

How Do We Get There?

I’ve heard it said that a ship is safe when docked, but that’s not why ships are built. Staying in the harbor too long is not the right thing to do. And neither is drifting. A ship, a boat, a watercraft of any kind created with the intent of traveling to a desired destination, is not made for drifting. Drifting is what you do when you don’t care where you arrive. Sailing to a desired location is done with purpose.

If we desire to sail towards our Loving Lord, according to D. A. Carson, we won’t get there without what he calls grace-driven effort. Sadly, the human heart leans toward selfishness, not godliness. We need God’s grace to purposely pursue Him.

Sometimes it takes a storm at sea to teach a sailor lessons about the power of the open waters and the strength of the vessel. Stormy weather may be what drives him back to shore to rest.

So it is with us. Life’s troubles are often what God uses to draw us nearer to Him. When life has brought us to a point of crying uncle, we’re right where we need to be. Our Father hears and answers when we cry out to Him.

If our desired destination is our Father’s side, we get there by getting to know Him. Jesus is the way to the Father, therefore, trust in Jesus is primary. Scripture is our guidebook, so hiding God’s word in our hearts is paramount. And the Holy Spirit is our compass. Therefore, obeying God’s still, small voice when He speaks to us is crucial. We’ll never get near the Father by drifting. We get there by consciously choosing to know and love our Creator.

Sail On With Purpose

Scripture tells us Jesus gives us rest if we come to Him (Matthew 11:28). It tells us if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled (Matthew 5:6). And it says if we ask, we will receive; if we seek, we will find (Matthew 7:7). It’s our choice to come and to come hungry. It’s our privilege to ask. If we do, our God promises to fill us. Our relationship with the Father is built as we spend time with Him, listen to Him, take Him at His word, obey Him, and move with purpose toward Him.

It doesn’t matter what type of watercraft the Father has given you. A ship, a boat, a tanker, a canoe, operated by motor or muscle. What matters is if we’re willing to set sail with Him as our guide and our destination.

Final Note

My boat has been in dock for a few months. It needed repair, and I needed rest. Jesus keeps His word. When He says, “Come to Me, and I will give you rest,” He does.

Have you ever found your ship brought to the harbor for a time of rest and repair? Feel free to share lessons learned. Thank God He knows when it’s time for us to rest. He also knows when He’s ready for us to sail on.

(Scripture: NKJV; Photos: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, Israel and Georgia, USA.)