Floating on a river going upstream:

This past week I went on a river boat cruise with my mom. This went up and down the Mississippi River. We left around the city of Davenport, IA to Dubuque, IA. This was really fun, and it was also very relaxing. The first day we went up the river from LeClaire, IA to Dubuque IA, and then the second day, we went back down.  This trip was definitely faster as we were going downstream as opposed to going upstream. As opposed to taking 10 to 11 hours, it only took us about 7. While also on the boat, we could feel just how much faster we were traveling. Just like in all things I write for this blog, this brought some different imagery to my mind in regard to the Christian walk. 

There are times that we as Christians get stuck in our comparisons. We are looking at others and we are seeing how much more successful they are, maybe how pretty/handsome they are, or that they have the characteristics that we would also like to have. What sailing on this river taught me though is that sometimes in life we are on a boat sailing upstream. We may be moving slower. We may have obstacles that are harder to get over and are fighting a current in our own lives like rivers face. The person next to us could be moving faster because they are headed down streams in their life and everything is going well. That in and of itself is one of the main reasons we should limit our comparisons. What others are going through is not what we are going through.  Another person’s journey isn’t our journey.  How can you fully know what others have faced or will face?  You can’t.  Not really.  You should really only focus on your own.  

The Bible does talk about comparisons including in Romans 8:6-8.  “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”  We are not to be the ones that look at others and hope that you could be like them.  There can be qualities that others have that we can admire and want to learn from, but essentially we should desire to be better for ourselves and have a desire to grow closer to the Lord for our own personal walks with him.  

I have an example from my personal life.  It isn’t entirely a religious or a spiritual example.  (But then again, if we are living our lives right, then we should have our center in Jesus Christ all the time.  Not just for the seemingly religious materials).  I have recently lost some weight.  I did not necessarily set out to lose weight within this last year.  I set fitness goals and then because of those goals, I also started to lose some weight and tone up.  While I am happy with this progress, and it is overall making me feel more confident, there are still sometimes when it can be hard for me not to compare myself to others.  This is especially true when I see some of my friends lose weight faster than I am or those who are naturally more fit/thin than myself.  In those instances, it can be easy to be lost in the comparisons.  It can be easy to think that it isn’t fair and that I am not as beautiful, when what I should be at that moment is happy for the progress I have made and celebrating the progress that my friends and others have made.  

We can also feel as though we are traveling upstream when we are going against what many others are doing. It can be easy in life to get swept in the current and follow what everyone is doing or what they are thinking.  However, that will most likely never feel right and will not be what you truly want to do.  For one example, it can be very easy to get lost in our love of the world and the things that are in the world.  Even though it can be very easy to love the world, we are taught throughout the Bible that we need to instead love the Father as opposed to the world. In 1 John 2:15-16 it says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes. And the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world.” 

In both of these examples, it can be so hard to fight against currents and travel upstream.  It is not the natural way that your body wants to go.  You want to be like everyone else.  You want to have a life that is easy all the time.  However, if we are going to have the wonderful experiences and the prizes that are awaiting us in heaven, there are going to have to be the moments where we are fighting to swim upstream.  I do want to offer encouragement that there will be times when we are traveling downstream. These will be the times when maybe you have more energy, you are feeling emotionally and spiritually well, and you are getting things accomplished. Relish in those moments. Use them up to the best of your ability.  Store up that good feeling and delight in it as long as you possibly can.  However, I do want to caution you that during those times of feeling good and being spiritually well that we don’t forget where the main source of our energy and good feeling comes from.  It is just as important that during the high times that we depend on the Lord and that will definitely help us through the times we are traveling upstream and through the harder stages of our life.  

The lessons of traveling upstream on a river is this: don’t go with the stream just because that is what everyone else seems to be doing and don’t compare your own personal journey to anyone else’s.  Regardless of the direction, remember to keep the Lord as your captain.  He is going to be steering your life in the right direction through upstream, downstream, hills, rocks, heavy currents, and other boats.  Depend on him and you will get to your destination which just so happens to be a life of eternity with God the Father.