The Life Jacket

I had recently presented to the board of a ministry I was working for regarding the grand vision for the ministry we appeared called to—not just the programs and the facilities, but how God inspired the vision and had been leading us all along the way. I shared that, as eager as we may be to “get this thing done,” we needed to continue to be patient with the Lord’s timing.

While I knew it seemed reasonable and practical to do the traditional fundraising schemes to raise the funds—hire a development director, send out mass mail appeals, have benefit dinners and silent auctions—I shared that I felt that God had clearly been telling me all along that he had this one. That he wanted to do this in a way that would bring glory to him alone. That if we were patient, he would bring the funding in his way and in his time. I shared how much I had seen him accomplish throughout this time of apparent “waiting.” I shared the story of Sarah and Abraham and warned against premature actions or striving on our part. We might accomplish the goal of raising the funds, but I feared we would not get the ministry God had envisioned if we got in the way too much.

A couple days later, in those early morning hours, I could see an image in my mind’s eye. It was a torso with a blue polo shirt on . . . stretched over a life jacket . . . all buttoned up. A tight, stretched, bulky polo all buttoned up tight. As the image sort of panned out, I could see it was a staff shirt for the ministry, blue with white on the sleeves and the logo on the front.

As so often before, upon awakening, I instantly realized what it represented. While many Christians may have Jesus as their Savior, thus the lifejacket, they fail to live out their faith in a way that gives him the glory. Rather, they hide it under their own strivings and accomplishments. Whether it is arrogance or lack of trust or lack of belief, we tend to want to operate in our own strength rather than letting God show up and show off. I believe the vision represented that people would see a well-run, sensible organization (the polo shirt) rather than a mighty God and Savior (the life jacket). The verse, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” came to me. What would God do if we just let him? What if we wore our life jacket on the outside?!

“All honor and glory to God

forever and ever!”

1 Timothy 1:17a NIV

“So, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

“And he did not do many miracles

there because of their lack of faith.”

Matthew 13:58 NIV