If you've ever waterski'ed, you know that in getting up on the skis for the first time, it's a bit of fight and trust. There's a tension of being pulled, and straining yourself to keep your body straight enough to get pulled up. I'm not an expert or anything, but you'd see people just get pulled over, or bent over, sunk in the water just taking a lot of water in the face. That's exactly where a lot of Christians are in being generous, in both tithing and giving to others. They can't trust that if they keep a little stiff against the philosophies of the world that you will actually "pop" up on top of the water.
Then when you get up, you've got to trust that what you are ski'ing on is right. I remember getting up the first time, but falling after a few minutes because I thought that the tension and effort I was putting forth wasn't right, so I pulled to the place of no tension without thinking and found myself falling face first, getting yanked out of my skis and cutting my heal. Some Christians try it, but when it requires some push and strength from them, they feel they are doing it wrong and reach back for the comfort of not trusting God to provide and they fall...hard. I was lucky enough to get back up and get rolling again...but some Christians never do.
Then there's the bliss when you trust the gliding across the top of the water...you get it, you are doing it and it's AMAZING. you are flying and you can turn and pick up speed and it's extremely fun. That's when you have finally trusted God...turned your back on the failed philosophies of the world as far as finances and resources and sharing goes. You look back at when you were being drug around by the boat taking the water in the face and you think "that's nuts". Others that are getting dragged around or those afraid to give it a shot, think you are amazing and they wish they could do that...when they CAN...you know that, but they won't believe it.
There are those who never try and let go, never enjoy the bliss of just absolutely gliding across the top of this world, being pulled along by the Father. They think they have to generate all the motion and they sink in the waves. The great part of ski'ing is that I don't generate the motion or the energy...not my job, that's the boat...I don't have to decipher the direction...that's the boat driver. I'm just supposed to hold my ground and trust the boat...same as with Christians.
I really hope that we, as a campus, can grasp these principles of generosity in our lives. I feel that it is ABSOLUTELY crucial for all of us here. This is a watershed moment for most of us and it will mean the difference between being stuck in the drudgery of water in the face or the excitement of water under your feet. Whether anyone of us stays at Bay West for the next 10 years or the next 10 days, that WHEREVER any of us goes, my prayer is that we can just fly and just tear this life up...that's God's plan for us, for you. Please don't miss it.
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