Get Off My BoatChikamu

Yesterday we discussed how Jesus will be there to guide your ship in the event of a storm or harsh weather. But also know that God gives you the ability to remove much of the cargo that is weighing you down. The stresses of everyday life can weigh you down heavily. Problems at work, issues in your personal life, financial burdens, all of these things can be very harmful to your physical, mental, and spiritual health. But the Lord has granted you with the strength to help yourself with many of these issues. What I am talking about, is a stowaway. God has provided you with the strength to remove yourself from toxic environments, toxic events and actions, and toxic people.

Sometimes it is better for you to avoid situations rather than try to go through them. It is unwise for the captain of a ship to try to sail through the rocks, when they can simply go around them. If your cargo does more harm than good, if it weighs you down and is useless in your path to the Lord and to happiness, then it is time to get rid of it. When Jonah decided to run from God and not adhere to his word, he became a stowaway. When he tried to flee to Tarshish instead of obeying the orders of the Lord, God created a storm to halt the ship that Jonah had fled on. Once those who were on the boat knew that Jonah had angered God, they threw him overboard, and the storm ceased.

You see, often we discuss Jonah but rarely do we discuss those who were on the boat. By them tossing out their stowaway who was responsible for causing their grief, their storm subsided instantly. They were safer without the stowaway than with him on board with them. The crew of the boat then gave thanks to the Lord for he had kept them safe. We know the rest of the story of Jonah and the fish, but I believe that it is important to talk about the rest of the crew, and to learn from them.

Do you have any stowaways that you need to let go? What holds you back from doing this?