This summer we signed our children up for swim lessons. Now unlike those parents that prioritized swim lessons, I fell short. Growing up on Long Island you would think that it would have been a top priority but unfortunately it wasn’t. This year we finally did it, and on the first day the kids were bouncing off the walls! They couldn’t wait to get in the pool and start learning, it’s amazing. On a side note, I wish they would be just as excited to do homework, mow the lawn, or maybe even read their bibles. Back to the story: we got to the pool and my four year old Josh was the first one to get rolling. He had his swimsuit on, and his little floatation device. He met the rest of the class and they lined up by the pool as the instructor gave directions. The instructor’s first words were “Does anyone want to jump in?” Joshua replied “I do”, and he did just that. The instructor jumped in as Josh went down and thanks to the floatation device, he came right back up. Spitting out water, a bit of fear turned into an ornery smile. I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago who went repelling; they said they really enjoyed it. The first step was the most challenging: you start down the mountain and you have to tell your brain that it’s going to be alright.
Both Josh and my friend had one thing in common: they both wanted to do something new but one jumped in” while the other calculated the pro’s and con’s of their actions. Now don’t misunderstand me, for many the calculated decision is the way to go, and in life we know that there is wisdom in calculating the decisions we make. We learn from the examples of people in God’s Word, that we need to receive the revelation of who Jesus was and is and “Jump In”. The disciples, when asked to follow Jesus, left everything to follow him. No calculating-just revelation and faith. Abraham was told to go and he went, Moses was sent and he went, and so on. I also think of the testimonies of the early church fathers, the pioneers of the faith, who when God spoke they went to the cities and different countries of the world. I think about myself and the great adventure that my family and I are on, and the many testimonies of when we received revelation, faith followed and God moved mountains.
In conclusion, there is wisdom in being cautious in the steps we take in life. When it comes to your relationship and faith in Jesus Christ, we need to “Jump in”. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be given to you.” Remember “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled”. You see, the more we prioritize our relationship with God the more revelation we receive. The more our faith is strengthened, the more we want to Jump into what God is asking us to do. “Jump In” and see that the Lord is good.” (The PDV)
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