I was just reading Seth Godin's blog (here). The title of today's blog was "The River Guide and the Rapids." He talked about how the river always changes so the pilot sometimes has to change how he maneuvers. Then he said this, "the practice of being great at shooting the rapids is a softness in choosing the right tactic, the ability to hold the tiller with confidence but not locking into it."
I had several thoughts about the life of a follower of Jesus when I read that statement. First, life as a follower of Jesus is like maneuvering the rapids of a river. Sometimes there are pockets where the river is moving, but it is moving peaceful and quietly. Other times we see the approaching rapids wondering how we will ever make it through. Life is just like this isn't it?
Second, the thing about a river is we may take a journey down a familiar stretch, but it will most likely be different from the last time. This means we have to change the way we approach it. We can't complain about it because that is the way life is--always changing and giving us new challenges even though we may be going down a familiar path.
Finally, and this is so important for a follower of Jesus--our confidence does not come from us being in control of the tiller. The one who should be steering the raft is the Holy Spirit. He is the one in control. He is the one who gives us the direction, maneuvering us through places that are rocky or have a big drop-off.
When we try to be the pilot, we have a habit of locking into the same pattern. When we do we run the risk of flipping the boat, running into a rock or going off a cliff.
Stop fighting the Spirit. Let Him be the River Guide.
