Cannonball Christian
Not too long ago I was flipping through the channels on TV and came across a diving competition. The athletes were sleek and fit and obviously had trained extensively to be the best of the best in their sport. I would venture that they had forgotten more about coming off a diving board, while doing their flips and contortions, than I will ever know. I also watched as they slipped effortlessly through the surface of the water with barely a ripple to indicate anything just happened.
The judges put their scores up based on many factors but one of the big factors was that entry. The less the water moved when the diver broke its surface, the better the corresponding score handed down by the judges.
As I have begun to realize, there are many metaphors that speak to our Christian life. Many Christians are living under the misconception that scoring for Christians is similar to scoring for divers. The most training, coupled with a flawless execution of the moves, topped off with a seemingly effortless entry, with no disruption, earns the highest point.
There are many who have been highly trained in what the Bible says. They have attended church most or all of their lives and have listened to countless words of wisdom delivered from the pulpit. They show up on Wednesday and Sunday like all the other “good” Christians. And most of all, they are living under the impression that not making waves and looking good for the judges is what counts as the water barely stirs.
The mantra is simply “He who dies with the safest faith wins.”
Jesus did not go through what He went through on the cross for you and me to not make waves. There is an uprising of the Spirit occurring in the world today. I strongly believe that this revolution of the soul is being brought about by God Himself to awaken the members of His church to the truth that he has bigger plans than a safe and smooth existence and finish. He has a life of SIGNIFICANCE waiting for each of us.
I think in this quest to open the eyes of His children, he is calling on a few of His rough and rowdy ones to climb up on the high dive and proclaim this from the heights. The time of the sleek and proper is coming to an end. We live in an era where Christianity is in decline in most of the world. So many Christians living “the good life” have become ineffective witnesses for the truth that Jesus has a wonderful gift waiting for those who do not yet know Him. There are so many of our brothers and sisters in chains who have had all semblance of freedom and dignity removed in an evil effort to stop the Holy Unstoppable. Those who claim to be Christ Followers who continue to hide their heads in the sand and pretend that it is better to not make waves are part of the problem.
As this time of sleek and proper ends, the time of the unrefined and untamed is dawning. As the rough and rowdy crowd steps out to the end of the high dive, I think it is time to make some new rules on scoring. Take a leap, draw in your knees, scream YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAWWWW at the top of your lungs, and cannonball into the pool we call the Christian life!! Hit with such force that heads turn to see all the commotion. Let the impact send waves to all ends of the pool. Come up gasping for air, water in your nose, with a big smile on your face, and let the world know THAT is how you come off the diving board.
I, for one, plan to be an unrefined six foot tall, 220 pound ball of bald fury going into that pool. I can only hope you will join me there and that together we will have a pool party that causes the Heavenly Host to break out in song and hold up score cards that say “Well Done!"
Make a difference, listen to The Call, go forward into the unknown and live the adventure that God has prepared as He shows you how significant you are.
God Bless,
Dave
