Afloat

It’s still early in the new year, and there’s a lot of enthusiasm and positivity for many, believing they’ll have a great year. But for some others, that belief is starting to fade because the reality of difficult life situations, or maybe the burden of work, is beginning to hit. In this write-up and my next few, I want to show and emphasize the mindset that keeps a Christian going, which involves trusting the Lord.

There are a couple of times when I’ve felt like I could die on this earth. Two of the most vivid experiences have to do with drowning in water. Life is so private, nobody knows I can’t swim.

Swimming is actually an important survival skill we should learn. When I’m humble enough, have enough time for it, and maybe am not as afraid of water bodies, I will definitely learn how to.

In 2017, at Sea School, Apapa, Lagos, the young man writing to you thought his life would end. My schoolmates and I were informed that we needed to do a welcome tradition they called baptism. They asked us to change into swimming wear, so we got excited, having no idea what was about to happen.

When it was time, they lined us up on a slab about eight feet above the Apapa sea. We were given life jackets and instructed on how to jump into the water at the count of three, and we were all expected to do it. I watched others before me go in and come back up, but I was still scared, thinking, what if I don’t come back up, even with a life jacket on?

When it was my turn, the instructor counted to two. I was getting ready to jump, and before I could fully process what I planned to do, he pushed me in. Brothers and sisters, I struggled. I fought hard for my life because it felt like I would drown in that dirty, salty water. Of course, that didn’t happen as I came back up. It was an exhilarating yet terrifying experience.

I said my story to highlight two reasons I shouldn’t have been worried and how that applies to the Christian in this world.

The first is that I had already seen other people go in and come out. One confidence booster for your life should be the faithfulness of God in your life or in the lives of others. Whatever the situation is, there are people around us or even better, the Bible who have gone through the same things and have come out fine. We are to draw strength and comfort from that.

Romans 15:4 ESV

[4] For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Second is that if I trusted that the life jacket would do its work, then I would make it. For the sake of this illustration, let’s think of the life jacket as the hold of God on your life as a Christian. Do you really believe that God is powerful enough and that He has your life in His hands?

We have to start training ourselves to rely on God. Throw yourself in with the confidence that by the help of God, you will be alright.

2 Corinthians 3:5 ESV

[5] Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,

I couldn’t swim in that sea, but I had a life jacket and a rope to hold on to until I was out. Not that Israel is sufficient in himself, but my sufficiency is of God. I believe it with all my heart, and I want you to do the same.

The reason I know that whatever awaits me this year will be scaled is because my sufficiency is of God.