safety – BARBARA HIGBY

Today we sail into deep waters. Friendship is priceless, but fellowship is richer, venturing into uncharted, sometimes stormy waters that reveal hidden strengths and weaknesses. While friendship reflects mutual interests, fellowship is about growth and encouragement, moving beyond shared laughter and tears to unveil our deepest questions and highest aspirations. The vulnerability is frightening, but the rewards can be immeasurable.

Fellow-ship must be approached carefully and with discernment. Boarding may cause waves and expose us to storms we’ve long avoided, but consider the blessings. Hidden thoughts warp over time and skew our perspective. They fester when kept in the dark, but exposing them to light brings health and freedom.

The first and primary friend we need to fellowship with is God. Honest conversation calms the soul and frees our hearts. His presence counters our fears with truth, spoken by His Spirit and written Word. God is utterly trustworthy, loves completely, and never turns us away.

Human fellowship is also precious. We find freedom and growth when we reveal hidden feelings and fears to people who will share our burdens and accept us. But before we offer our trust, one qualification must be met—they need to have a living, vibrant relationship with God. It is good to be cautious. We should not reveal our hearts to someone who freely offers personal opinions that are not informed by God’s wisdom.

With God, there are no restrictions on sharing. With people, we need discernment and time. Trust needs to be established. Parameters need to be set. We also need to guard those who have caused us pain and not reveal their sin to others.

Fellowship is a good ship to sail. It is strong and holds steady in storms. It will carry us on high waters and set a course to wholeness.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

Image provided by Pixabay

For readers too young to remember, Red Rover, Red Rover was a popular childhood game played on many elementary school playgrounds during recess. Kids formed two facing lines, holding hands to form a barrier. One side called out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Johnny come over.” Johnny (or whoever was called) aimed at the two clasped hands he deemed most vulnerable and raced across the opening to break the hold. If he succeeded, he returned to his team, bringing one from the opposition with him. If he failed, he joined the opponent as their captive.

There’s a life illustration here. We belong to a “team,” a group of believers where we are safe, united in friendship and faith. But there is a team opposed to us that wants to lure us to their side, calling our name. This is not a game of Red Rover when the bell rings and we return to the safe atmosphere of the classroom. This is life, and temptation’s taunt is not a game we can easily walk away from. When the Tempter calls, his goal is to entrap us. He knows our name and targets our weaknesses.

We may run toward the temptation and, overconfident in our strength and speed, expect success. But the sad truth is, we risk being roped in. When we are captured, there’s no easy escape, no bell to end our captivity. Our team is weakened by our absence, and it will take another brave soul to risk safety and run into danger to win us back.

We thrive in the safety of our team. It is a place where we can learn and grow, increase in wisdom, and resist temptation’s lure. We need each other.

If you’ve run into danger, reach out to someone you trust and ask for help. If you’re standing strong, offer rescue to a struggling friend.

If another believer is overcome by some sin,
you who are godly should gently and humbly
help that person back onto the right path…
Share each other’s burdens.
Galatians 6:1-2 NLT

Picture from commons.wikimedia.org

Tag: safety

Boarding Fellow-Ship