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CHALLENGES IN LIVING
TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY
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Burning
Your Boats
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by Tom
Caballes
"But one
thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward to what
lies ahead, I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians
3:13-14 ESV
Legend says that in 1519, an explorer, Hernando
Cortes, led 11 ships with around 600 men and was
headed for Mexico to take the world’s richest
treasures known during that time. But there was
one problem – a strong army had been guarding the
treasure, and no one has ever defeated them,
though many others tried. As they landed, Cortes
commanded one thing – “Burn the boats!” His men
obeyed. His men had only two choices: win the
battle - or die. Because his men did not have any
chance to retreat or escape, they fought the
bravest combat of their lives – and they won. They
were victors, and they had all the riches beyond
what they can use in a lifetime. Our walk with God
is very similar – sometimes we have second options
or plans in life that are not in line with God’s
will. Do we compromise our faith in God? What are
the boats in your life that you need to burn so
that you can be fully dead-set in following God?
So How Do You
Burn Your Boats in This Life?
- You
need to cut off your ties with your old
sinful patterns. There should be no
looking back. Live as a new creation [2
Corinthians 5:17]. Live with ‘no strings
attached’ with our old way of thinking,
relating, and behaving. So, if something
causes temptation in you, do something
to get rid of it.
- Surrender
your ambitions and plans to God – they
should all come secondary to following
and obeying God. Your primary goal is to
do God’s will and please Him. Is God
first in your life or just secondary?
- Be
willing to experience suffering and pain
for the sake of following God – it may
come through serving God, sharing the
Gospel with others, standing up for what
is right or in other ways and means.
- You
need to radically live your life for God
– not with complacency, timidity or
half-heartedness. You need to be on fire
for God! Be single-hearted for God and
His Kingdom. Like the man in Jesus’
parable, sell all you have in exchange
for the greatest pearl of no equal.
- No
giving up and no turning back on your
walk with God. No daydreaming in the
“what ifs” of life.
- Live
by faith, not by sight. [2 Corinthians
5:7] See things by using your spiritual
eyes, not just physical.
- Fix
your eyes on the reward - the truth is,
if you give your all to God, you will be
well-rewarded. What is there to compare
living eternally with God? Think about
it – often!
Other Scripture passages:
- Jesus
said to him, "No one who puts his hand to
the plow and looks back is fit for the
kingdom of God." [Luke 9:62 ESV]
- For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the
glory that is to be revealed to us. [Romans
8:18 ESV]
- … I count everything as loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of
all things and count them as rubbish, in order
that I may gain Christ. [Philippians 3:8 ESV]
- Other
references: 2 Chronicles 15:7; Jeremiah
29:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24 and Galatians
6:9-10.
For
personal reflection or
group sharing
- When
life gets tough, do you have an ‘exit
strategy’ or a fail-safe plan so you can
save your own skin, name, comfort, or
convenience?
- Would you prefer to reach heaven with just
barely doing so, or with ‘flying colors?’
- Are
you giving your all to God or are you
holding anything back? What is your ‘boat’
that you need to burn?
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Tom
Caballes is the
National Senior
Administrator and a
National Coordinator
of the Lamb
of God, a
community of the
Sword of the Spirit
with 7 branches
located throughout
New Zealand. Tom
also leads Kairos
New
Zealand, an
outreach program for
high school,
university, and
post-university aged
people.
Tom and
his wife Mhel and
their two
daughters live in
Wellington, New
Zealand.
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