Testing the Water

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who do cannon balls and those who test the water.

I don't know about you guys, but I always test the water before I get in the pool...or any water for that matter. I've never been a cannon ball type person. Come to think about it, I'm not sure I've ever done a cannon ball. Some people love it though. I can just see it. Everyone is in their swim suits, putting on sunscreen when out of nowhere comes this guy (because it's normally that guy) who suddenly blazes past everyone. Running like stallion out of the gate, he heads for the dock and catapults into the water without hesitation. Yeah, he's totally cool for doing that.  All the girls are impressed dude. Psych! Not really. The smart people cautiously find their way to the edge and stick their toe in the water before venturing in for a dip.

I like to test things before taking the plunge. You never know if the water is going to be colder than the Arctic, right? Sure, being cautious is a good thing. We test drive cars, test our coffee to make sure it's not too hot, test products in labs before putting them on the shelves, just to name a few things. No one wants to come out of the shower with blue hair because Suave didn't test their product before shipping! Testing is beneficial in a lot of ways, but it's so good in our spiritual life most of the time.

I might be the only one, but I test God way too much. I feel like Gideon in the Old Testament quite frequently. God called him do something REALLY big, and he was a nobody from an insignificant tribe of Israel. Gideon tested God again and again before he followed through with what God had called him to do. (The account can be found in Judges 6.)

When God calls I still act like I'm at the pool or lake - I want to test the water.

 God says, "I'm calling you to do ____ (fill in the blank)." 

I say, "God are you sure? You know I'm not really good at that. I might mess up. I might not be good enough. Can you give me a sign?"

"Don't worry child. I am your strength. I will provide you with everything you need to accomplish it."

"God, I'm just not sure. I guess I can try though."

As soon as I put my little toe out into the water, I find it colder than I thought and doubt of God's calling encompasses me. I get scared and back away like the kid too chicken to go swimming because he might drown.

I need a "cannon ball" kind of faith not a"testing the water" kind, which really isn't faith at all. God is calling me lately to do something that is so much bigger than what I can accomplish on my own. And I'm like Gideon - a nobody from an insignificant place, ordinary and nothing special. Does that effect what he can do through me though? Not at all. Nor does it with you. I pray that I will have "cannon ball" faith and jump into God's will for my life. Yes, it will probably be cold and uncomfortable, but He never said that following Him wouldn't be hard sometimes...a lot of times. Actually, we suppose to expect it to be difficult. But the fact remains that we cannot stay where we are and go with God.

So what is God calling you to do? Are you "testing the water" with Him or are you jumping, trusting Him in faith?

He who promised to be with us is faithful, so let's cannon ball together.