Steve, in responding to last week's message brought it to my attention that
in my brilliant time discourse, I forgot to remind everyone that all time is
really God's time. Well there goes my perfection for the year, still early in
January. Actually, I know now that in God's plan, He is once again reminding
me, to be really honest many times a day, that I truly am not the Captain of my
own ship. I just like to think I am. This reminder from Steve of God's ultimate
control of my ship of Destiny is therefore the introduction for this week's
message.
The old story of men rushing in were angels fear to tread is quite true.
However, this week to quench some of the storms in the sea of life that this
message might create, I will make up a little story. For we men, until God
teaches us some hard lessons, we truly believe that we are in control of the
ship of our Own Destiny. In many cases we have won a galley slave (or wife) to
take care of all our wants and needs and to do the dirty work, which of course
is beneath the dignity of the true Captain of the ship. Sadly, that is as true
for the Captain of a real ship, or a ship of industry, service or ministry.
Therefore since I don't know of any actual Captain of real ships that receive
this, and I do know of some other ship's Captains, we will make Bill the
Captain of a fishing boat, that fishes in Alaska. He is gone from home six to
nine months a year, to provide for his family.
Donna is Bill's wife. She is a devout Christian. Bill is a ship's Captain.
While Bill is away, he expects Donna to take care of the family. Two children
from their marriage, ages 6 and 11 and a daughter, from Bill's former marriage
make up the family, which Donna is responsible for home schooling and running
the home as that same tight ship Bill runs at sea. With this as the basic life
of a ship of the world, or Babylon from last week's message, let us look at
some of the stresses that might take place has Bill's ship goes in search of
those illusive fish.
While Bill is away, he claims that he works seven 24's and when he gets home
from that he expects the ship at home to be ship, shape. Donna knows he works
hard, but Bill doesn't really understand just how much physical and emotional
energy it truly takes to keep the ship at home from crashing on the rocks. "I give you all this money and you gave $6000 to
the church and that lazy pastor who don't no, nothin' 'bout the life of a real
Captain, a real man Don't give me that Jesus stuff, I'm a Christian too, but I
ain't one of them whimpy guys you tell me about."
This can go on for a long time, as Bill continues to try to keep the ship of
his life at least headed into the wind. Donna tries to maintain course also.
But some time the storm is going to get too rough and Bill (or Donna) will have
to call out to God for help and God will provide a way to a safe harbor and a
more peaceful passage over a more tranquil sea. That will occur after God has
achieved His purpose within the swirling gale. For the rest of this message
let's look at some of the time aspects that might be present as God reorders or
organizes these lives.
Men and women have physical limits. It is my observation, as are all the
rest of these conclusions, that we really have about 60 hours per week in which
we can effectivity navigate over the seas of life. For short periods that may
be extended, but eventually a mechanical, navigational or emotional error will
cause a break down. If we divide those effective hours into the three time
classifications from last week, we have about 20 hours each for ministry,
family and worldly work or imperial time. To pull that off, even getting to
that 60 hours in any form, the first thing that is required is that God has to
be the Captain of the ship. The hours may vary, like the wife's job is
traditionally nurturing the family, so she may spend 40 hours in family work
and 20 hours in ministry. The man's work may be ministry n the broadest since,
but he must endeavor to preserve those eternal hours of family building, which
are as much his responsibility as it is a requirement of his wife.
As Steve so wisely said, we must recognize that it is truly God's time and
only time served in accordance to his schedule will truly stand the test of
time. The rest will be tossed apart into floating wreckage. This requires a
miracle that can only be performed by God alone and the results benefit only
for His own Glory. Just how wasted our lives become in the process, is part of
the growing process. It may look to us, and to others that our lives have been
shattered, broken, or crushed, but that is only the first step in God truly
being able to use us for His Glory. In that plowing He has planted seeds that
will one day produce a crop that we could not imagine previously.
What changes will God make in the lives of Bill and Donna, I can only
speculate, but for Bill , he will one day learn that he is not the Captain of
His Own Destiny and that Donna is not his galley slave. He will humbly one day
kneel to the God of the Universe, whether Donna is at his side, really depends
on Bill and the choices he makes. The first step is to realize his limitations
and that he really doesn't and can't work seven 24's. When I was young and
foolish in the army, I once made about 48 hours, but most all around me were
worthless after about 36 hours. Have I ever mentioned I was once a Captain.
Over those ever lengthening years I have learned mostly through storms and
heartache, that if Jesus Christ is not the captain of my ship of destiny, I
will be overwhelmed. With Jesus Christ as the Captain of my ship however, my
destiny is in his hands and no matter how rough the storms of life may get, my
future is eternally secure and there is a sure living pilot in the wheel-house.
I have also truly seen illustrated in the lives of many believing families,
that a Christian wife is the most precious of all gifts that God can give a man
in this life. Should we dare use her as a galley slave or other acts of our
personal service and not as an equal partner, we will be led into storms from
God alone which we can not control.
For her part Donna must recognize that Jesus Christ must be the only Captain
of her life and that she might, through her faith in God, be able to provide a
change in direction that both she and Bill need. Bill will definitely look at
it as Donna turning up the heat on an already simmering kettle. If Bill
contiues to look at her mostly as a galley slave and school teacher, each one
of those pots may boil over, but Donna is only following Gods will and He alone
can properly supply just enough heat to achieve His eternal solution. Since
most school teachers that only teach one grade, work about 30-40 hours per
week, perhaps that may be where the change will come. But she can rest in her
knowledge that her God will illuminate the proper path and will keep bringing
it around, closing other doors, until the correct step of faith is taken.
The only time I ever heard Ann Landers on television, she said, "The beauty of a man is his strength, the
strength of a woman is her beauty."
Now in the kingdom of this world and the imperial state, time takes
these attributes away. In the kingdom of God, were time is eternal, God's grace
allows us to continue this development forever. In this life Jesus Christ
grooms us to be his eternal bride, by taking our choices and turning them into
opportunities to grow in that eternal perspective. Whether man or woman, the
only thing that keeps us from truly experiencing that growth is our fear of
turning over the control of our personal ship of destiny. After the storm, the
landscape may have changed so that we do not even recognize our place in it.
But upon the bared ground of that personal or natural disaster, He will plant
the seeds, whose fruit will not see corruption. Amen.
Actually, I was told even by my ex-wife that I was really a pretty good
husband, only in my life, she was the one who was not the believer. But I was
the Captain who thought I could change her. Over these years, I have seen that
God does indeed use these very personal storms to mold us into the image of
Jesus Christ. It looks after the material provision He provided last week, that
He may be about to give me another shot at seeing if I can be the executive
officer (numero dos) in the chain of command, of a ship he may be about to
launch. I do know that the plans I had for Sunday were all changed from what I
hoped would take place. But I did get the opportunity to talk to and old friend
Kim after service, which was an answer to prayer. She and I were part of a
church singles group after my ship wreck, probably about fourteen years ago.
When I saw her at a wedding a few months ago, she mentioned that she was not
currently going to church, basically because she was suffering emotional burn
out. It was great to see you Kimmerz! In that respect when I met Kim, I had a
two pages per day, Day Timer. I now have a two pages per month one, and I just
looked and I didn't have any entries in January. Which I guess goes to prove
that if we truly trust in the Lord he will direct our path and plan our
schedule. That schedule within my capacity to understand seems to break out
pretty much as I outlined above.
Complete in Thee! no work of mine May take,
dear Lord, the place of thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, And I am now complete in Thee.
Complete in Thee! no more shall sin, Thy
grace hath conquered, reign within,
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee, And I shall stand complete in Thee.
Complete in Thee! each want supplied, An no
good thing to me denied;
Since Though my portion, Lord, wilt be, I ask no more, complete in Thee.
Dear Savior! when before thy Bar All tribes
and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen will I be, At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.
Cecil F. Alexander