In the River, On the Bank

1 Cor. 15: 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, …

We used to play this game at social. We would all stand side by side in front of a line on the ground. One person would shout “In the river!” and we would jump forward over the line. The caller would then shout, “On the bank!” and we would jump backward to the where we were before. We were supposed to respond as quickly as possible after the call. Of course, the catch was, we wouldn’t know what the call would be. Those who jumped into the river when he said “on the bank” would be out of the game, and those who jumped on the bank when he said “in the river” – same thing.

Many people approach their Christian life like they are playing that game. Sometimes they are in the river, sometimes on the bank. In other words, they are unsteady, unstable and constantly changing; this moment living victoriously, the next moment compromising and backsliding. God is patient and forgiving and He knows how hard we try sometimes, even when we fail. He tells us where we try and fail that His grace is sufficient.

But while God is willing to make up for our weaknesses, He is not honoured by those who take His grace for granted and are comfortable with their own weaknesses. To be a good Christian calls for discipline. We must not only pray for strength and ask God to keep us, we must also do our part. We must know and admit to our weaknesses and try to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. If I have a weakness for watching the wrong movies or listening to the wrong type of music, instead of just praying for strength to overcome, I need to get rid of them from my MP4 and my I-pad. If I have a weakness with sexual behavior, while praying for victory I should also avoid going to places or putting myself in situations where I am more likely to face temptation.

A consistent devotional life: faithfully taking time out for prayer and Bible study, talking with friends about the things of God, regular church attendance and observing the laws of temperance will help to keep our Christian lives consistent and safe out of the river of sinful behaviour.

Dear Lord, I need You with me every moment so I can be a steady and consistent Christian. Help me to develop those habits that will keep me steady I pray, in Jesus’ name, amen