A sailor has seen calm waters with easy gentle winds that pushes his ship effortlessly across the vast ocean. He has seen the sunrise in the brisk morning air and has experienced the orange sunset as the sun fades and the light of the moon takes over. The sailor has also seen dark angry clouds with howling winds that whips his ship around in rough choppy seas, being tossed from here to there like a plastic cup on a busy highway.
Living a life as a christian is like being a sailor. You may have months of calm seas and weeks of stormy weather. It’s not about how calm or how stormy the weather is but it is about what you do, how you react and what you have learned when you are faced with calm or stormy weather. We all would like to be the sailor who only experiences calm seas and views the sunrise and sunset everyday, but if that is all you experience how will you ever know if you have the skills to handle stormy weather? In my last blog I wrote about faith being tested and how by being tested your faith will grow and become stronger. The life of a christian is the same way. While no one ever wants stormy weather to deal with, it will happen. How we prepare and handle for it is when we are in the calmness before the storm. We need to have emergency plans in place, knowing we will experience rough weather and be ready when it comes. In Ephesians 6, God is teaching us to prepare ourselves against evil and what is to come, by putting on the whole armor of God.
Like the experienced sailor, he prepares for the storm ahead of time by making sure hatches are secured and loose items are tied up. The sailor knows, that doing this during the storm is impossible. Likewise, we as Christians need to use the calm times to consistently stay in prayer, read God’s word and prepare for when Satan attacks us.
This year has been a year of many storms for me. I get through one and another one is right on its heels. God has graciously given me many days and months last year to prepare. As I face and endure yet another storm, I will not complain about it. Rather I will embrace them, leaning on my Faith and knowing God is always in control.
When you have made it through the storm, you will be able to feel the warm and happy feeling of victory. You will see the sun again and enjoy the calmness of the seas that comes along with it. You will have grown in your faith and come closer to the feet of our Heavenly Father. God has promised He will never give us more than we can handle. He also promised, He will never leave us in the fight alone. God gave us the power to overcome all, but we must stay faithful.
A good sailor can sail on calm seas, but a great sailor can handle the stormy oceans.
Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wile of the devil. Ephesians 6:11