Off – that is the best word I have to describe how I had been feeling. For several weeks, I felt like something was off deep within me. My symptoms included feeling anxious, edgy, tired, and was easily distracted during prayer. Since I was at a loss and unsettled, I asked Jesus to help me figure out what was wrong, and that is when He whispered to my heart, “You got out of My boat.” I grew up landlocked on an Iowa farm, and I have an unfortunate predisposition for motion sickness, so boats do not make the list of my favorite things! Therefore, Jesus making this statement was a bit surprising. However, He was right, I had abandoned the safety and security of His presence, and I was struggling. I do not think I made a conscious decision to get out of His boat, but during those weeks, I had failed to follow the rules of being His passenger. As usual, I find His rules are simple to remember but a bit more challenging to put into practice.
Rule #1: Leave your luggage on the shore.
Jesus’s boat is not a small one, there is room for us all, but there is no room in His boat for our luggage. To step into His boat requires a surrender of the baggage that we carry around – past regrets, shame, unforgiveness, worry, fear, and other burdens that weigh us down. He wants us to leave them on the shore and pick up His love, mercy, understanding, and healing. This type of surrender I am suggesting is not the kind that says these burdens do not matter, but the sort of surrender that says, “I trust in You, God; I am willing to rely on you to care for me, heal me, and provide for those I love.”
Throughout the Old Testament, God implores His people to let go of the past. The prophet Isaiah (43:18-19) writes, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new!” We cannot change anything from our pasts; however, we can learn from these experiences and allow God to do something new in us. But, if we are clutching onto our past mistakes or allowing shame from these situations to define us, this renewal will be tougher to accomplish. We have to be willing to trust in His forgiveness and mercy and let go of these burdens.
Another piece of luggage we can carry is worrying about the future. Gently and directly, Jesus deals with these as well. In the Gospel of Luke (12:25), He says, “Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your life-span? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?” And in the Gospel of Matthew (6:34), He says, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” I can quickly fall into the false thinking that I am in control, and I like to borrow worries. Do you struggle with these as well? Again, Jesus calls us to surrender and keep our hearts and minds on the present – where we can make the most difference.
Jesus willingly and lovingly wants to take these heavy burdens from you. Are you ready to surrender them? In return, He longs to give you His gifts of mercy and love. Do you want to make the switch?
Rule #2: Keep your eyes on Jesus.
This rule makes complete sense to those of us who get motion sick. We often hear it phrased as, “Keep your eyes on the horizon.” Similarly, we read in the Letter to the Hebrews (12:1-2), “…let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.” If we want to run the race well (a.k.a. live well), we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We cannot be looking around, allowing distractions to steal our joy, peace, and rest. It is like looking back at the shore where you left your luggage or focusing on the storms off in the distance. What is pulling your eyes from Jesus? Is it job insecurity, health issues, or relationship struggles? These are the times we need to keep ourselves focused on Jesus, on His love for us. We can only do this by meeting Him in prayer and moments of silence throughout the day. In those challenging moments, it can be so hard to pause and shift our gaze back to Him, but it is in the pause that we regain our joy, peace, and rest. It is where we find Him.
Rule #3: Hands and feet stay inside the boat – at all times.
In short, “Be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes we need to sit down, rest, and let God be God. We need to let Him do the talking, the healing, and the handling of the situation. Sometimes we need to remember that He is God, and we are not. So often, we find ourselves caught up in a battle, and what we need to do is trust that “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still(Exodus 14:4).” I can get busy searching for the right article, the right book, the right advice, and all I accomplish is being exhausted from running. When I take a moment to breathe, He reminds me that I have everything I need. I have Him.
I have viewed Jesus’s statement, “You got out of My boat,” as an invitation to get back in Hi boat and set my heart right. I am grateful for His directness and His patience as I relearn His rules. It has not been easy, and I have more work to do, but the reward has been worth the effort. When the worries stir, or I want to rehash the past, I take a moment to close my eyes and imagine the shore. There Jesus is, waiting in the boat, motioning for me to get in with Him. And in a breath, I drop my luggage, settle into my seat, focus on His eyes, and we push off from shore. Give it a try. There is room in the boat for you, too.