Would You Rather...
Would You Rather…?
I’m not quite sure where it started or how they got into it, but recently my girls have been playing this game with us called “Would you rather?” Generally, the consensus of the game is asking between two horrible choices that are either disgusting or weird. Either way, it’s a game about hypotheticals. I really can’t stand hypotheticals because typically they are not logical, practical, or even possible but most of the time I’ll humor my kids and play with them.
To give you an example of the game, my girls will come up with cute ones like, “would you rather have a dog or a cat” (my three year old’s go to question), or gross ones like “would you rather eat your ear wax or your boogers” (my six year old). To be honest, I don’t want to do either and would rather not think about those as options. What kind of situation have I gotten myself into that would necessitate choosing between which disgusting bodily secretion I would have to eat? And for what reason? Am I saving my own life or someone else’s in this hypothetical scenario?
Luckily, a friend from church found a book that is totally devoted to this game. It’s a book of “Would you rather?” They are less gross and much more logical so my six year old will read them in the car and we will choose between these random hypothetical options. It’s more fun than choosing between bodily secretions.
This game got me thinking about life. Specially, the Christian life. My Christian life. Your Christian life. So I would like to extend this game to you. Here at the beginning of a new year.
Would you rather live life safe in the harbor and without purpose? Or risk it in the open ocean where you were built to be?
Pause. Take a moment. Really consider those options, because they aren’t hypothetical. They aren’t theoretical. It’s practical because it’s behavioral.
Honestly, your actions prior to your reading this have already determined your answer. You are either living in the safety of the harbor or you’re living out in the open ocean. But I have some good news. Every day you get to make this decision.
Every day is a new day. Every day is a new set of decisions. Every day is a new set of would you rather. Every day presents a new opportunity.
If you’ve been living in the harbor, every day is a new chance to brave the open ocean. I truly believe that’s where God wants us. When it comes to your purpose, safety squanders while risk rewards. God never called us to a life of safety. He called us to a life of purpose, and a life of purpose requires risk.
There’s definitely an element of faith that requires risk. When God tells you to take a step of obedience and you can’t see the step, that obedience in faith is a risk.
There’s a difference between arriving in safety and arriving safely. God promises to be your protection. To be your safety. To never leave you nor forsake you. This means He’s with you every step of the way. This means He’s going to help you arrive safely.
Yes, the boat is gonna rock. Yes, the wind and waves are gonna beat against the side. Yes, it might even spring a leak or two. But you can only tell if your roof is leaking when it’s raining - not when the sun is shining.
The harbor only proves that the boat floats. That’s only a small part of the purpose of the vessel. You were built for the open ocean. Stop living in the harbor.
I’m not quite sure where it started or how they got into it, but recently my girls have been playing this game with us called “Would you rather?” Generally, the consensus of the game is asking between two horrible choices that are either disgusting or weird. Either way, it’s a game about hypotheticals. I really can’t stand hypotheticals because typically they are not logical, practical, or even possible but most of the time I’ll humor my kids and play with them.
To give you an example of the game, my girls will come up with cute ones like, “would you rather have a dog or a cat” (my three year old’s go to question), or gross ones like “would you rather eat your ear wax or your boogers” (my six year old). To be honest, I don’t want to do either and would rather not think about those as options. What kind of situation have I gotten myself into that would necessitate choosing between which disgusting bodily secretion I would have to eat? And for what reason? Am I saving my own life or someone else’s in this hypothetical scenario?
Luckily, a friend from church found a book that is totally devoted to this game. It’s a book of “Would you rather?” They are less gross and much more logical so my six year old will read them in the car and we will choose between these random hypothetical options. It’s more fun than choosing between bodily secretions.
This game got me thinking about life. Specially, the Christian life. My Christian life. Your Christian life. So I would like to extend this game to you. Here at the beginning of a new year.
Would you rather live life safe in the harbor and without purpose? Or risk it in the open ocean where you were built to be?
Pause. Take a moment. Really consider those options, because they aren’t hypothetical. They aren’t theoretical. It’s practical because it’s behavioral.
Honestly, your actions prior to your reading this have already determined your answer. You are either living in the safety of the harbor or you’re living out in the open ocean. But I have some good news. Every day you get to make this decision.
Every day is a new day. Every day is a new set of decisions. Every day is a new set of would you rather. Every day presents a new opportunity.
If you’ve been living in the harbor, every day is a new chance to brave the open ocean. I truly believe that’s where God wants us. When it comes to your purpose, safety squanders while risk rewards. God never called us to a life of safety. He called us to a life of purpose, and a life of purpose requires risk.
There’s definitely an element of faith that requires risk. When God tells you to take a step of obedience and you can’t see the step, that obedience in faith is a risk.
There’s a difference between arriving in safety and arriving safely. God promises to be your protection. To be your safety. To never leave you nor forsake you. This means He’s with you every step of the way. This means He’s going to help you arrive safely.
Yes, the boat is gonna rock. Yes, the wind and waves are gonna beat against the side. Yes, it might even spring a leak or two. But you can only tell if your roof is leaking when it’s raining - not when the sun is shining.
The harbor only proves that the boat floats. That’s only a small part of the purpose of the vessel. You were built for the open ocean. Stop living in the harbor.
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1 Comment
Wow. I've read this a few times, and the line that keeps hitting is "the harbor only proves the boat floats." So true, and so often it's easy to be satisfied just floating and miss the point of WHY we're in the water. If we never walk out in faith with our faith, what's the point? We're not living our why. Good word. Good question. Good challenge.. and as you know, I love Would you rathers ;)