Tag: analogy

God’s “Seal Training”

Jon Paschal

During the mask era, while I was playing on social media, I found this inspirational speech made by Navy Seal Admiral William H. McRaven during the 2014 University of Texas in Austin commencement.

Most of you are aware that the Navy Seals make up the tip of the spear for our military. Although I do not have the distinction of having trained with them, I have known a few and I can tell you they are some of the most tested, battle hardened, and confident men you will ever encounter.

Wouldn’t it be great to have similar confidence, spiritual fortitude, and faith like a seal has? I believe this is the faith described by Jesus in Matthew 17:20 and displayed by Peter as he steps from a boat of full of scared men out on to the waves of the lake in a storm expecting walk on water to his Lord.

I highly recommend you listen to the admiral’s speech. His 10 key points are very similar to a lot of Bible lessons.

1. Start off by making your bed. This may sound a little silly, but the premise is that if you complete something simple it can build a level of confidence. This confidence carries with you through the day as you attempt to overcome harder tasks. -This is a lot like little prayers before you start on a difficult task. Just like Nehemiah asking for direction, protection, and strength, I guarantee a short plea to God will be way easier to accomplish than anything else you do. And the knowledge that you have requested the assistance from God, the one entity that can make you overcome all obstacles is quite comforting. His will might not be for you to succeed every time, but by asking you have a better opportunity than not asking and it will bring you closer to the Lord.

2. Find someone to help you paddle – This is a lot like Hebrews 10:24-25: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works”.

3. Measure a person by the size of the heart, not the size of their flippers – This is a lot like Matthew 7:15-20 where Jesus says to measure a person by their fruits.

4. Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward. When the admiral failed in BUD/S training, he ended up wet and covered with sand or, as he referred to, as a sugar cookie. -Basically, sometimes no matter how hard you try you still fail. And even though you fail we must be like Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 “forgetting what lies behind” and “press on toward the goal”.

5. Don’t be afraid of the circuses. Circuses are the extra work that the would-be seals must do when they fail a test to build strength. – And like in James 1:2-4 these extra trials produce steadfastness and make you complete.

6. Sometimes you have to slide down an obstacle headfirst – basically you must use your personal skills to do things more efficiently. In Matthew 25:14-32 the 5 and 2 talent men illustrate this point.

7. Don’t back down from the sharks – This story exemplifies overcoming fear like Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous… for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.” Or Isaiah 41:1-20, which says, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you”

8. You must be your very best in the darkest moment- This lesson is similar to what Paul provides to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11-16 “Fight the good fight of the faith”

9. Start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud- Singing can help lighten a mood and strengthen your resolve. I believe this is why Psalm 96 teaches us to sing to Lord, daily.

10. Don’t ever, ever ring the bell. – Never give up. Look at the stories of Job, the apostles, and Jesus. All went through great adversity and never stopped praising God.

Although most of us will never be a navy seal, we can take the admiral’s stories along with what the Bible has taught us to do our part in changing the world and make us better Christians.

Qualities of A Freshwater Drum

Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

 

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Carl Pollard
I love catfishing. Nothing beats the feeling of getting that tug on your line and reeling up a big fish from the deep. But lately I’ve been running into a problem, a problem that I never really faced while catfishing. The past couple of times that I’ve gone out and thrown my bait in the water, certain fish keep taking my bait away before any catfish even have the chance to get close to it. The culprit? Freshwater drum. Don’t get me wrong. They put up a good fight, but they don’t taste near as good as catfish. I decided to do a little digging so I could learn more about these fish that have been giving me a headache lately. I found out some very interesting facts that (as redneck as this may sound) can be applied to us today.
Freshwater Drum are always active; no matter the season, weather, or water temperature. Unlike most fish that tend to slow down in the winter, or swim to deeper water in the heat of the day, the Freshwater Drum is always active. No matter the circumstances, these fish will almost always bite. Paul in his second letter to Timothy tells us something very similar. “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (4:2). As Christians there is no off season. There should never be a time in our lives where we feel like we can take a break. Freshwater Drum are always active, and New Testament Christians should be given the same description.
Freshwater Drum are unique. It’s the only member of the Drum family that lives it’s entire life in freshwater (hence the name). They stand out from other drum because they thrive in saltless water; a trait that no other Drum has. As Christians we have been called to stand out from the rest of the world. In His sermon on the mount Jesus tells us that we must be unique. He says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬). Freshwater Drum stand out as being different from all other species of Drum, and as Christians we must stand out as being different from the world by letting our lights shine.
The male Freshwater Drum is known for its unique “grunt” sound that it produces. In fact, its scientific name comes from the Latin word grunniens, which means “grunting.” This fish was named after the noise that it’s known to make. Even to this day when fishermen hear about Freshwater Drum they immediately think of its grunt. It’s a distinctive trait that attributed to how it was named. When others think of who we are as Christians, what trait do they immediately recall? The words that we speak will cause others to form an opinion about us. That’s why it’s important for us to guard the “noises” that come out of our mouths. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” May we never forget the power of our words and the effect that they can have on not only our character, but on others.
As strange as this may sound, Freshwater Drum should be an example for us to follow. They remind us to stay active in our faith, to stand out in this sin filled world, and to choose our words wisely.
P.S. Even though they’re a good reminder for us as Christians, I’m still changing my bait up so they’ll quit taking it…
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