Unless You Stay on this Ship
Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Acts 27:31
I once heard the story of a man who almost lost his life trying to escape an accident in his car. He had been driving and there was some kind of control failure or something like that. Therefore, the car just began to somersault repeatedly on the highway.
Well, this man decided to jump out to safety so he does not crash with the car. He opened the door, while the car was still in somersaulting motion, and as he tried to jump or roll-out, his cloth was stuck on the car door and he was dragged along as the car was somersaulting, hitting the road again and again. It took a miracle to escape being crushed by the somersaulting vehicle but that experience alone landed him in the hospital where he stayed for a very long time.
Let God Lead the Way
There is a lesson to learn from this story, and that is, in the face of crises, you need to be properly guided concerning the decisions you make. Sometimes, finding a way of escape may be the only way to survive or triumph over the crises. Whereas, in some other cases, staying till the end is the only way to survive. Trying to get out in such a case may prove worse than staying.
It pays to know what God is saying all the time. One cause of great damage to many believers today is our lack of patience to receive God’s leading. We want our way so bad that we jump into decisions just anyhow. Decisions that do nothing but land us in trouble where again we cry to God for help.
No, this should not be how we run the affairs of our lives. Please understand that every day of your life is a journey. In addition, this journey is one in which certain routes are taken more because of our convictions than fate. Moreover, every decision, choice, and conviction must be tested through crises.
Whether you believe it or not, your resolve for life, health, success, faith, wealth, impact in life must be proven in the fires of hardship. Sadly, this is where most folks abandon ship. This is where most folks chose convenience over the price for relevance in life.
Go check out any person who crossed Earth’s horizon in history and made a great impact. You will realize that they were people who resolved to go all the way, even if it cost them everything. Jesus, speaking in Luke 14:28-33 said,
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?
Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
Being a disciple of Jesus or a follower of Eternal Life is the greatest of callings in life, the most adventurous of journeys. Greater than wealth or any such things. Yet, Jesus says to succeed at this, you must confirm your resolve, how far am I going with this? What will be my first consideration in the face of confrontation, abandon ship, or fight to the last?
Read: Where’s A Place that God Can’t See Us?
It is not an easy deal serving the Lord. It is not fun having to lay your all on the altar. It’s never pleasurable to carry your whole future, goals and plans, finances and hopes as well as your own pre-planned security system, and then to lay it all upon the altar of dependence on God all in the name of following to the end. Nevertheless, you know what,
“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—“ – Rev. 2:26.
There is an end soon. It may not necessarily be the end of the world, yet whatever phase you are at right now, allow me to tell you that abandoning ship may not be your best decision. Stand your ground. God is on your side. You are not forsaken.
The year, the marriage, the finance, the education, the job, and all else is looking like a shipwreck, do not let the situation determine your decision. Nevertheless, be guided by faith in the Man of Calvary, Jesus Christ the Lord. He calms seas, walks on waters, and rebukes winds. Yours is not bigger than Him.
With Him, safety is guaranteed, even for a crashed vehicle and a wrecked ship, for all those who trust in Him. Stay on this ship. Stay in the fight. It is not over yet.
James Osayande George lives by the mandate to reveal the liberating truth of God’s word in simplicity and accuracy through a cutting edge teaching ministry.
Having been saved at the young age of thirteen (13) years old through a Divine encounter, he has since dedicated himself to know and serve the Lord with his life.
Best known for his calm voice, James George has ministered in full-time ministry since 2014 within which period he served as one-time resident pastor of Glad Tidings Life Triumphant Church, Kaduna State, Nigeria under his spiritual father and mentor, Pastor Moses Enabulele.
A student of the prestigious Kenneth Hagin’s Rhema Bible Training Center, Nigeria, James George is the author and co-author of numerous published and unpublished manuscripts and poems for blogs and magazines, as well as books including Walking through the Word Devotional (a classic all year round devotional book). Your Journey and God is his first published book. He runs a blog at www.thischariot.wordpress.com
He is the pioneer of G. M. M. Network, a body of believers dedicated to church growth, spiritual development, youth, and women empowerment, as well as outreach to the less privileged. He currently resides in and does his ministry from Lagos State, Nigeria
