Savage2Saint Sobriety April 28, 2024

"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary." - Matthew 14:24 (KJV).

          Have you ever been given a task and it seemed like every which way you turn; everything was stacked against you? Like some unforeseen force has made it their mission to stop you from getting your “to-do” list done today. Car won’t start. Babysitter is late. The alarm didn’t go off. I’m talking about the days when you face resistance. Days where it feels like you have been laboring along but not getting anywhere. Days when you're tired and ready to give up. Days where you just want to throw your hands up and quit. Days where it has you wondering, ‘Is this all worth it?’ or ‘Why am I even doing this?’

          Now, all of that is in the physical, but we have those kinds of days in our spiritual life, too, don’t we? They may not all have you wanting to quit, but the resistance, that contrary wind, the grind, if you will, just starts to take a toll. Some days are just harder to walk straight because something is pushing you off your walk with God. Annoying days. Difficult people. All around bad days. We all have them. Some of us have them more than others, but no one is exempt from those pesky windy days. It seems like it’s harder to read your Bible some mornings. Who feels like praying when you wake up in a bad mood? So, what do you do when you wake up to one of those days? Hang with me for just a second.

            I realize around SE Missouri, sailing boats is not a common thing, but in 2008, my brother and I decided to purchase a sailboat. At this time in our lives, Kyle and I had worked near the ocean for three straight years. When we saw a MacGregor 26 sailboat for sale, the decision to buy it was a no-brainer. The boat was nice. Not one, but two queen size beds, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Problem was, we didn’t know anything about sailing, so we started reading books and watching videos on the subject. Prior to my self-educating crash course, I always thought that you had to have a wind at your back in order to sail in the direction you wanted to sail. I was shocked to find out you can actually sail into a contrary wind!!

            On a sailboat, you have 2 primary sails…the main sail and the jib sail. When faced with a contrary wind, or a head wind, sailors will position the jib sail ahead of and slightly to the side of the main sail to catch the head wind and channel it back around into the main sail which will push the sailboat forward. It blew me away (pun intended) to find out that just by positioning your sails correctly, you could still make progress into a contrary wind. You're probably wondering, 'What does any of this have to do with my spiritual life?' I'll answer that question with another question. How are you positioning the sails in your spiritual life so you can still move forward on days when you're facing resistance?

            For me, I’ve made reading my Bible and praying THE number one priority to start my day. Why? Because if I don’t then I’m setting myself up to have a bad day before I even get started. If I don’t, then any and every time I face a contrary wind, I’m going to be off my walk and heading in the wrong direction. I’m in relationship with my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I’m also in relationship with my wife. Can you imagine if I got up, got dressed and took off for work without saying a single word to my wife? So, why would our relationship with God be any different?

We have the One who can speak peace into any situation just a prayer away. We have a Book of answers to every problem we could ever face readily available to us. If you want to position your sails to move you forward in ANY wind, then start spending time with your Lord and Saviour before you step out of the house. Wake up with fear, anxiety, or still troubled by yesterday's problems? Start exercising your faith. Faith over fear. "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 (NLT). When you stand on the promise that He is with you wherever you go, there isn't a contrary wind that can stop you. Start your day by seeking the Lord and you will finish the day in victory! God Bless!!!