"Take Hold" Series: Week One Follow-Up
There is a story about a young admiral who was particularly stubborn and used to getting his way. One night at sea, the admiral was looking out from his command post on the deck and saw lights in the distance, clearly heading straight for him. He radioed a message ahead: "Turn aside, 10 degrees starboard." The radio beeped back, "...Negative. Advise YOU turn aside 10 degrees starboard." Furious, the admiral responded, "No, YOU turn aside. I am an admiral and the commander of this battleship." The message was returned: "...well, I am just a private, but I am in charge of this lighthouse."
Stubbornness VS Trust
Like the admiral, our stubbornness can get us into trouble. It is driven by our need to control and be in charge. At its root, stubbornness is almost always caused by one of these three things:
- Selfishness
- Fear
- Pride
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” God can and will make the way clear if we submit our selfishness, fear, and pride to God in trust. But it’s not always easy to trust, is it? What about when we’ve been wounded or disappointed? How do we trust God when bad things happen?
The cross and the resurrection tell us of a hope much greater than all our fears and anxieties. It teaches us that though we are in distress – rejected, neglected, in debt, abused, held captive – there is a better day coming – we will be accepted, cared for, have our debts discharged, healed, and set free. Because of this hope, we are free to live a life of obedience and trust to God.
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