Stepping Stones: From Turtle to God

Transformational Tip

I was at the beach last week and observed one of the coolest and most hilarious sights. We were at a Myrtle Beach high-rise with a “lazy river” you could leisurely ride around on an inner tube. Well, my 10 yo, GiGi, decorated a little turtle and entered Kevin in the turtle race in the lazy river. Twelve noon was post time and the activities director dumped about 50 decorated plastic turtles into the river…and the race was on!

The excitement of kids and parents energized everyone on this muggy 93 degree day. People were hootin’ and cheerin’, running around the river to see where their turtle was…it was hilarious. I actually shouted to another excited father, “Competition, you gotta love it!”

I’ve always loved sports, ever since I was a kid. Clear goals, structure, expectations, excitement, winning, a second chance when you lose, attention, escape from reality. I was blessed to have many successful experiences in athletics.

But you see, even though sports were a positive activity in many ways for me, I also developed a dependency on them, turning to them when I was low, insecure, lonely, felt inadequate in another area, or was confused. This really stunted my spiritual growth, as I should have been turning to God and His Holy Bible instead.

God wants you to be all His. Once you Believe and then Receive, God, through His Holy Spirit, He is constantly working to wean you off all other dependencies. A big part of Becoming is letting your security rest in Him alone; not in other things, people or circumstances.

Today, reflect on what positive activities in your life have you started to rely too much on, or you turn to before you turn to God. Work, food, spouse, kids, intellect, problem-solving skills, the list is endless. Turn to Him first today, then these other areas will fit in with more satisfaction and fulfillment when He forms the foundation of our happiness.

Prayer
Dear Father, I thank You for all that I have and I thank You for the security You provide for my life. Day by day now this physical world is becoming a more frightening place, such an insecure place. I accept You as my God and my savior, but I humbly admit to You that I am not yet weaned from other dependencies. Help me let go of them as I grasp more firmly to You. I pray this in the name the one who depended solely on You, Jesus Christ – and all God’s children say, AMEN!

The Truth
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:9-11