I sat there watching it all transpire. I could see what was going to happen before they did. They couldn’t see me, but I could see them and what was about to happen was not looking good…
I was sitting on a bench perched up in the woods above the ocean at Deep Cove in North Vancouver. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and warm. The ocean was calm, and the cove was filled with people of all sorts, in boats of all sorts, enjoying this spectacular summer day.
I was watching a group of beginner kayakers in the midst of a lesson learning all they needed to know to enjoy the pleasures that kayaking has to offer. In fact, there were a number of groups of kayakers taking lessons to develop some degree of comfort in this newly discovered recreational reverie.
In the midst of this enjoyable and serene moment, like a bull in a china shop, entered 3 young ladies in a canoe. They were clearly on a mission to get through this scattering of kayakers as quickly as possible and make their way out into broader waters. They were moving at a pretty good pace – a frightening pace for some of the more senior beginner kayakers. But what made them particularly dangerous was the fact that they really had no idea what they were doing.
All three of them were paddling at break neck speed, but they didn’t know how to steer. The paddler in the stern of the canoe not only did not know how to do a J-Stroke, but she didn’t even know how to hold the paddle properly. No life jackets, and no clue how to turn, stop or steer.
Committed, but clueless.
This became very apparent when they began yelling, “Sorry, Sorry!” to an elderly kayaker whom they were careening toward at ramming speed. The paddler in the bow pushed her away just prior to the moment of impact to avert a nasty collision. And all the while the other two kept paddling in a very committed fashion.
As I watched this scene unfold I thought that this scenario is reflective of how some people live their lives. Oh they are committed alright, but a little clueless in regard to the impact they are having on people around them. Or perhaps they are clueless about the deeper things of faith and walking with Jesus.
To be mature followers of Jesus we need to add knowledge to our faith. Yes, commitment and perseverance is critical, but we also need to add knowledge.
When these young ladies rented, borrowed or bought that canoe they needed only to ask someone to teach them some canoeing basics, or search out instructional videos on YouTube, in order to increase their efficiency and effectiveness in the canoe. Likewise, all of us have the opportunity to add knowledge to our faith to deepen our understanding and grow in maturity. There are so many resources available nowadays that we can access to grow our faith.
However, that requires humility.
It takes humility to ask for help, to ask for input, to communicate that we don’t have all the answers – to learn and grow. Is it any great surprise that we don’t possess all knowledge? No, of course not. Then why do we often balk at the thought of asking for help?
One word: Pride. And we all know that God resists the proud.
When you find yourself balking at asking for help, input, advice, or prayer, choose humility and ask for help and it will kick pride in the head. We must choose to get training in the deeper things of God. We must choose to learn.
We are not meant to walk alone. Following Jesus is a team game. And, we are not meant to live in ignorance. Let’s make sure we are not “committed, but clueless” – let’s ask for help, input, advice or prayer. Let’s get the training we need to grow in God. Let’s choose to learn and grow. Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know. We all need input from others.
Let’s be committed and clued in, not clueless.
II Peter 1:5-8
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 5:11-14
“…it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. … But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”