A woman decided to take a walk on a beautiful Saturday morning. During the night rain had fallen, leaving the ground moist and the air crisp. As the woman approached a hill at the edge of her neighborhood she noticed two ducks in a puddle. She knew that right over the crest was a gorgeous lake where these ducks could swim. Lake. Freedom. Puddle. Cramped. Lake. Creator’s design. Puddle. Second (or tenth) best.
What are some responses the ducks could give the woman?
1- The puddle is just fine for me.
2- The hill is too steep to climb.
3- Are you judging me for staying in the puddle?
4- The puddle is all I have ever known.
5- I’ve never seen the lake, how can I trust it is there?
6- The lake is only for important ducks.
7- I always thought there was more to being a duck than this.
Now shift to God’s perspective. No, I am not talking about ducks. This is about me and you.
Do you ever wonder if there is more to the “Christian life” than what you are experiencing? Do you ever watch great Christian men and women longing to have their type of relationship with God? Do you ever open the pages of your Bible and stare like it is a foreign language? Do the sins in your life seem overwhelming at times? Is victory over those sins short lived or non-existent? Do you have a burning desire to know God deeper? Do you long to follow Him the way the ancient men of old did? Have you ever thrown up your hands and cried, “There has GOT to be more to it than this!”
Join my club. The club of the Seekers. The club of the Believers. The club of the Sometimes-Like-a-Duck-Puddle-Dweller-Instead-of-Lake-Owning-Christian.
I think many times God calls out to me, “JACLYN! I have a lake prepared for you and you are in the puddle! YOU ARE IN THE PUDDLE!!! I have given you everything you need to know me deeper. You have the strength to overcome sins. You have all the promises of my Word. If only you will BELIVE Me!!! Get out of the puddle!”
And what are some of my or our foolish responses to God? Strange, they sound almost like the duck…
1- The puddle is just fine for me… translation- “I like my life the way it is even if I wonder sometimes if there is more to it than this.”
2- The hill is too steep to climb… translation- “I do not want to do the work it would really take to be the follower of God that I want to be and know I should be. Memorize Scripture? I can’t. Read my Bible EVERY day? I don’t have time. Give up the movies and music I love? I don’t think so.”
3- Are you judging me for staying in the puddle? Translation- “I know that there are some Christians who live their faith out to the fullest, but I am content with just knowing I am going to heaven when I die. Are you judging me for the type of Christian I am?”
4- The puddle is all I have ever known… translation- “This is the way I was raised. This is all I have ever known. I am scared to step out of my comfort zone.”
5- I’ve never seen the lake, how can I trust it is there? Translation- “If God wanted me to know more of Him He would have shown me by now. Some Christians make up their close relationship with God to try to look better.”
6- The lake is only for important ducks… translation- “God does not let all Christians that close to Him. Authors, pastors, missionaries and great speakers are the only ones that get close to God. If I got closer to God people might think I am arrogant.”
7- I always thought there was more to being a duck than this… translation- “I want to know God more. I really do. I have no idea where to start. I am no longer content with mediocrity.”
So where do we start? What is the first move in becoming closer to God? In my own journey and discussing with others their walk of faith I have found several key beginnings. There is no formula. There is no three step method. No cure. No easy way out.
I am sure you have read verses like…
Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
… and wondered, me? HOW?
Then we have encouragement and promise…
2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
We can do it through Him. We CAN become more like Christ with the Spirit’s help. We CAN be godly. We CAN be holy. I don’t know about you, but that is encouraging to me. I pray that we will rise up and become believers that are recklessly willing to believe God!
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