Gaylon and I just spent time in North Carolina celebrating the birthday of Tucker Bryan Benton. Tucker turned three, and he truly lives his three-year-old life! Energy, laughter and going non-stop all describe this boy.
Gaylon and I took a morning to just have fun with Tucker. One of the things we did was take him to swim in a friend’s pool. Tucker was excited, but a little fearful. The pool had no true kiddie area where he could stand up on his own. He wanted to enjoy the pool, but he wanted the water to be shallow.
Finally after much coaxing, we were able to get Tucker to jump into Papa’s arms. He then realized he could trust his Papa. Tucker floated, he twirled, he laughed and he loved the deep water. Tucker discovered that the deep water was a great place to be, as long as you are in the arms of the one you can trust.
Too often, people never experience more than shallow Christianity. Shallow water allows one to be in control. If I am in shallow water, I can get out any time I don’t like something or someone. In shallow water, I can jump up and down and demand my way. In shallow water I can see every place I want to step, and places I refuse to step. In the shallow end, I am in total control.
In the beginning of our walk with God, it’s pretty normal to ask God to do things for us. That’s okay, but at some point we must go deeper. When we go deeper, we move beyond what God can do for us, and move toward what we can do for Him. Going deeper causes me to abandon my life, my actions, my tongue, my posts on social media, my attitudes and my whole being to my “Papa” God.
Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ requires more than prayer and church attendance; it calls for total abandonment to Him. Abandonment does not happen automatically, but is made through daily decisions and sometimes even hourly decisions – not my will but Yours be done.
God is calling us to go deeper. Like Tucker, we will find that the deep water is so much more refreshing. Will you take the leap?
“When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” – Luke 5:4