We must give careful attention to our devotion to Christ so that we don't get caught in a drift.
Dare 2 Share - Some have strayed concerning the faith. --1 Timothy 6:21
In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off the Sicily Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the rocks.
The Christian life is much like a journey on a ship. Everyday, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and carry it to shipwreck. It may be the movies we watch, the friends we choose, or simple indifference to the walk to which God has called us. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and imperceptible process. It starts slowly; like lacking in our prayer life, putting off our Bible readings, skipping church, or giving up on our obedience. However, after time, we know it has occurred when we have lost the resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that we once knew. Before you even realize it, you drift off course and you are headed in a perilous direction. You wake up one day and the need to serve the Savior disappeared like the morning fog being burned off by the sun.
The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen to the Christians in his world. He had seen it happen. There were friends who swore allegiance to Christ at the beginning but for whatever reason, they joined the worldly crowd and ditched their faith. He encouraged Timothy to be faithful in telling others how to stay on course with Christ so they wouldn't stray from their devotion and cause their faith to be shipwrecked.
How about us? Have we become so comfortable in our Christian life that we have lost the fear of crashing on the rocks of compromise? Perhaps it is time to look heavenward and see if we are following the course laid out for us by the Captain of our salvation: Jesus Christ.
Look sharp students! The winds of sin can blow you into a fatal shipwreck that will leave you stranded forever. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and plot your life on the compass of God’s Word. Remember, we must give careful attention to our devotion to Christ so that we don't get caught in a drift.
Questions:
1) What decisions are you making that are pulling you off course?
2) Do you have friends that need to know about the destination of heaven? If so, will you tell them about a saving relationship with Christ?
