| PULSE CHECK |
| "PULSE" - "the
sentiments, opinions, or attitudes current among the public or a
particular group." |
 |
"CHECK" - "to
examine something in order
to establish its state or condition." |
"PULSE
CHECK" - is a weekly reminder from CHALLENGED TO THE CORE
encouraging you to take time "to
examine your sentiments, opinions, or attitudes in order to establish
the state or condition of your life."
|
June
17, 2008
ABANDON SHIP
“Before very
long, a wind of
hurricane force, called the
"northeaster,"
swept down from the
island.” Acts
27:14
Over
one hundred high school students had to swim for their life
when a graduation snorkeling trip turned tragic. The boat they were on
began to
sink off the coast of Cancun Mexico without warning. One of the
students
reported that “They (the crew)
abandoned ship and basically left us to take care of ourselves…It was
kind of a
surreal moment because the people who are there to take care of you are
kind of
gone now.” Unfortunately, this same type of tragedy happens every day
in our
society. Marriages are in trouble, spouses “abandon ship” without
warning and
the children are left to take care of themselves without the stability
and
emotional support of two loving parents. Now, before anyone gets
defensive let
me be clear that I believe there are times when a divorce or separation
is an
appropriate move to shelter children from harm. I don’t believe that
God wants
us to put ourselves or our children in harm’s way for the sake of
appeasing a
dangerous spouse. However, I also believe that too many times couples
“abandon
ship” just because they don’t know how to “sail”.
Storm
strategies - “The ship was caught by the storm and could
not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.” Acts
27:15
Paul
was a prisoner being transported to Rome to stand trial
when a “storm” interrupted their trip. The captain and crew were
familiar with
storms and began to do what was necessary to save the ship. If you read
the
whole account you will see that they “gave way” hoping to ride it out,
they
“passed ropes” under the ship to hold it together, they threw “cargo”
and the
ship’s “tackle” overboard to lighten the load and finally after many
days they
“gave up all hope”. Then Paul who had been praying announced to the
crew that
God had told him they would be okay and that only the “ship” would be
destroyed. I believe that we get a “picture” in our heads of what our
“marriage” (ship) should be like and set our sails. When the storms of
life
batter us around, we use all of our “human strategies” to save our
“marriage” but
when these fail we “abandon ship” without seeking God’s strategies for
dealing
with storms.
Affirming
purposes - “But now I urge you to keep up your courage,
because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.
Last
night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me
and said,
'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God
has
graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up
your
courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he
told me.
Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." Acts 27:22
What
is the purpose or mission for your marriage? When Kathi and
I coach couples this is a concept that most have never thought about.
They have
never considered that their marriage might have a “purpose” greater
than
themselves. Think about the lives of those we read about in scripture.
Every
one of their lives was used by God for a purpose. Why would our lives
be any
different? Discover your purpose and affirm it before God. As your
children
grow include them so they learn how God is using you and that God has a
purpose
for them as well.
Intervention
procedures
- “In an attempt to escape from the ship,
the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were
going to
lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and
the
soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."
So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall
away.” Acts
27:31-32
This
may or may not be a big surprise to you; but there are
people who do not have your best interest at heart. Paul warned the
centurion
soldier in charge of the journey that some of the sailors were trying
to jump
ship against God’s plan that had been revealed to him. When someone
begins to
“meddle” in your marriage you have to take a stand. Even if they are
well
intentioned, their actions can be devastating to your marriage.
Improper
relationships, ungodly advice and gossip are just a few weapons that
can sink
your “ship” if you do not take steps to intervene. You and your spouse
must
guard your marriage from anything that threatens your unity. This
applies to
family and friends within your inner circle as well as the more obvious
attacks
from those outside
Landing
instructions - “The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners
to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the
centurion
wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan.
He
ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
The rest
were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way
everyone
reached land in safety.” Acts 27:42-44
Your
adrenaline is pumping, your nerves are raw and now you are
expected to guide your marriage into the harbor of wedded bliss after a
severe
storm. Sound familiar? It may sound familiar but it’s not that easy to
do. We need
time to process our thoughts and feelings after a “storm” or argument.
Depending on our personality it could take as little as a few minutes
or
several weeks before we are able to sort things out. In this passage of
scripture each person got to shore based on their own abilities, but
they did
all get to shore. The process wasn’t as important as the destination.
Keep your
eyes on the shore, not the rocks. Hone your skills and trust your
equipper;
God.
If
you are in the midst of a storm right now be confident that
God has a strategy just for you. Don’t abandon ship until it’s
absolutely clear
that it’s God’s will. For those of you who are experiencing “smooth
sailing” at
the moment, it’s not a question of “if” you will experience a storm but
“when”.
Use your time wisely so you will be prepared. “Check Your Pulse” this
week and
reaffirm your commitment with your spouse to never “abandon ship”.
Del
Brixey
“Happy
Sails to You!”
CHALLENGED
TO THE
CORE
P.O.
BOX 414
LAKE ARROWHEAD,
CA 92352-0414
For
more information on how to "Center On Real-life Effectiveness" please
visit our website at:
www.CHALLENGEDTOTHECORE.com
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