Stormy Seas: A Smooth Sea Never Made a Skilled Sailor

I recently spent a glorious day on an island with my family. It was too cold and windy to swim or sunbathe but we enjoyed the scenery, good food and of course, the shopping.

One of my favorite stores is full of wood plaques of all sizes painted with lovely, and sometimes funny, little sayings. As I was leaving the shop I looked up on the wall behind the counter and read a saying that I had never seen before.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

Honestly, as much as I like that saying, if there were a switch I could flip at the beginning of each day that would determine whether the day would be smooth sailing or rough seas, I can assure you, I would flick that switch to smooth sailing every single time. Who would choose a day of trials and accidents and defeat if the choice were theirs to make? Yet, “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor” speaks to me. I do want to be a skilled sailor as I journey this uncertain sea that is life. When a storm comes my way, I want to be prepared. I want experience on my side to aid me in making wise decisions. I want my first response to always and forever be to call out to the One who controls and calms the stormy seas.

Stormy Seas

The storms that come in our life teach us

To Call out to God
That He is Faithful to answer us
That He is the Almighty God and this storm is not too big for Him

A skilled sailor will have faced stormy seas time and time again and with each storm his ability to sail well, whether in quiet waters or storm tossed seas, will increase. His understanding of the storms, the rocking seas and the stability of the ship will grow with each storm he weathers. He will no longer be a novice, but a sailor capable of teaching and training others because he has first-hand experience of life on the sea.

Jesus Christ is our Captain. We look to Him to guide us through the smooth seas and blue skies; and we depend on him to aid us through the stormy seas and black nights. If our life were a series of calm seas with not a dark cloud in sight, our dependence on Christ would waver, in fact, it would disappear and we would falsely believe that we did not need him. We would remain child-like in our sailing, or life living skills because they would never be put to the test.

The trials in this life will produce one of two results, either you will turn to Christ and cling to Him or you will turn away and curse him. It is impossible to remain indifferent to God in the midst of tragedy.

I thank God for the stormy seas, because I never want to forget that I need Him.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 ESV

Are you thankful for the stormy seas of life?

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