Impromptu Leadership

The book of Joshua begins with God telling Joshua,“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them…" (Joshua 1:2) Moses, the greatest leader in their national history is gone, now you’re going to lead the entire nation into battle…now.

Life comes at you fast doesn’t it?  We spend a lot of our lives trying to stay in our comfort zones and avoid uncontrollable circumstances, but once in a while it sneaks up on you.  The journey that Joshua was about to embark on was anything but safe; it was probably something closer to terrifying.  But God had more to say than just “go.”  His instructions to Joshua continue, “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

As you consider the challenges that lie ahead of you.  Leading your family, facing your fear, running a business, battling illness, fighting for your marriage, etc…What do you imagine God would say to you right now?  I’d imagine something like, Be strong and courageous, I am with you, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged…

You were made for more than safety.  You were made for purpose.  Ephesians 2:10 says that God created us for good plans that He laid down long before we were ever born.  Be strong and courageous.  Fight for your purpose.  Whatever God has given you responsibility for, take charge, today.  Because some things are more important than simply staying safe and waiting for status quo to play out in front of us while we watch from the sidelines.

Marriage: The Ultimate Roller Coaster

As my wife Brandi and I sat on the roller coaster, waiting for the ride to begin, I had the same thoughts a lot of parents have when they get on a carnival ride.  Is this a good idea? Is this dangerous? What if something goes wrong? What will happen to our kids if we die on this roller coaster?  Thankfully, my reasonable self took over within a few seconds.

Then it occurred to me that this roller coaster is the perfect metaphor for marriage. Other than a total anomaly—like a meteor striking the coaster or a crack in the earth opening in the middle of the amusement park—there’s only two predictable ways one of us could get permanently wounded: 1. Reaching outside the boundaries of our dedicated space or 2. Jumping off the ride all together.  Truthfully, if we just stay committed to the boundaries that are clearly established, there’s almost no chance of getting hurt.  According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, your chances of being injured on a roller coaster are roughly 1 in 24,000,000; chances of being killed are 1 in 750,000,000.¹

I think the imagery speaks for itself, but I’ll go for it anyway. 
1. There’s nothing good for you outside the established boundaries of your marriage.  You took vows; the boundaries of faithfulness have been clearly established.  There’s nothing but injury and pain waiting for you outside the boundaries of physical and emotional faithfulness to your spouse.
2. The surest way to do life-long damage is jump out.  If you jump out of a moving roller coaster, I promise that the scares will last the rest of your life (which, may not be all that long if you jump out of a moving carnival ride).  I suppose there’s always the possibility that jumping out is the best alternative—like if the coaster spontaneously burst into flames—but that’s going to be an extremely rare circumstance.  You know who’s most likely to jump off off a roller coaster?  A crazy person. 

The good news about both of these pitfalls is that avoiding them doesn’t require action; it requires inaction.  Commitment to stay, not go.  Commitment to be undeterred.  There are many investments that need to be made in order to have a flourishing marriage, and it’s a lifelong process.  Avoiding these two easily avoidable catastrophes will ensure that you have the chance to make those investments.



¹ https://abcnews.go.com/US/flags-roller-coaster-accident-witness-victim-questioned-secured/story?id=19731762