The Call to Strengthen Our Boat

  “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Let all that you do be done with love.”
— 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 (NKJV)

Lately, I’ve been struggling to understand how to respond to what’s happening in our nation. There’s so much turbulence around us — the waves of confusion, division, and fear — and part of me has wanted to take up arms, spiritually speaking, to stand and speak out. Yet each time I’ve looked to the horizon, I’ve felt the Lord turn my gaze back to my own boat.

At first, I wrestled with that. It seemed almost selfish, even naïve, to focus on my own small vessel when the seas themselves were raging. But this morning, I believe God spoke clearly to me:

“You are part of a flotilla.”

It came like a revelation — simple, but deeply grounding. I saw not a single boat adrift on rough waters, but a flotilla of vessels moving together under the same command, led by those God has called to steer the course. Some were out in front, others were alongside, and some were still patching sails and bailing water. Each boat mattered. The strength of the flotilla depended on the condition of its vessels.

I realised that our calling — mine and Linda’s — is not to chase the horizon, nor to criticise the course, but to keep our boat in order. That means maintaining balance, attending to what’s within our reach, and making sure the ropes of relationship are secure. It means allowing Christ to steady the helm and to quiet the internal waves that rise within when the external storms rage around.

The more I reflected, the more I saw that this isn’t withdrawal. It’s obedience. A neglected boat cannot join a voyage. Before we can be useful to the wider move of God, we must be seaworthy ourselves. If we are careless with the leaks and loose rigging in our own lives, we risk not only drifting off course but weakening the formation around us.

So I’m learning again to value what feels small — to take the time to tend the planks and check the sails; to speak gently within the boat, to love Linda well, to keep faith steady and conscience clear. These are not private acts of maintenance; they are acts of readiness. A flotilla cannot survive the storm if its boats are not strong.

And in that quiet obedience, I sense peace returning — the peace of knowing that even the smallest act of faithfulness helps the whole fleet move forward.

“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.”
— Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)