Impactify – Who’s in your Boat?

While growing up, we had a lot of family movie nights and until today I can’t watch scary movies.
I used to get so anxious whenever the main character was in a scene of the movie and was in peril, that I would work myself up to the point where my dad would put his hand on my shoulder and say: “Don’t worry the cameraman is close by, he is not alone”.
Then I would remember the main character needs to be in the sequel, so he can’t go anywhere!

Recently I listened to a podcast of Pastor Rick Warren on communication with God.

In the story where Jesus and the disciples were out on a boat, fishing. Most of them were professional fishermen. During the fishing trip, Jesus got tired and decided to take a nap. While sleeping, a storm erupted.

Now, storms are generally not a big deal for professional fishermen. They are used to rough seas, but this was an exceptionally violent storm and they were afraid. They thought they might sink and drown as the boat was taking on water!

Frantically they woke Jesus up and asked him one of the most important questions in life …

Before I get to the question they posed, let me categorically state the following:

If Jesus is in your boat, it won’t sink! No matter how big the storm is!

The key of today’s message is:

Whenever or wherever you need help, get Jesus into your boat.

• if you don’t want your marriage to sink, include Jesus in your marriage
• if you don’t want your career to sink, include Jesus in your career

If you include Him, you will stay “afloat”

Picking up where we left off in our story, the disciples, not thinking, went to Jesus, frantically woke Him up and ask: “Lord, don’t you care?”

This proverbial question I find is one of the profound questions of life: “Don’t You care that we are about to drown?”

We constantly ask this question in a thousand different ways:
“God, don’t you care?”
“Do You not see the mess my life is in right now?”
“Don’t you care Lord?”
“I have no money and have bills to pay, don’t You care Lord?”
“All the Covid deaths and heartache, don’t You care Lord?”
“Don’t You see all the fear in my heart?”

Well, the answer is: YES!
God cares. In fact, He cares more than you care. He wants to help more than you want help
He will give you the help you need, not the help you want! He is aware and He cares!

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you, or, for want of a better word, “drop” all your fears on him! Just let it go!

How much energy does it take to drop something? Zero, gravity does all the work!

All you have to do is relax, to learn how much God cares about you, you have to learn to relax.
As long as you’re worried about your future you can’t relax. If you can’t relax you will not experience Gods care for you.

God says: “Let it go. Drop it. Cast all your anxieties on Me because I care!”

The keyword is “ALL”

The definition of the word, all, in the original Greek language literally means, ALL, meaning all-inclusive
Very profound discovery I made here.

Does God care about your house payments?
Does He care about your grades when you’re in school?
Does He care about the sales you need to make this month?
Does He care about your health?
Does He care about your dating life?
Does He care if your face breaks out in pimples?
Does He care if you have an upset stomach or flatulence?

YES!

There is nothing in your life that he doesn’t care about.
God knows it all!

IF JESUS IS IN YOUR BOAT, YOUR BOAT WILL NOT SINK!!

The main character in your story should be Jesus, include Him in your sequel and all the following chapters of your life.

Article by Natasha Odendaal of Impactify Impact Consulting & Life Coaching