February 4

Burn the Boats

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

––Joshua 24:15, nkjv

Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye.

––“Burn the Ships” by For King + Country

Legend has it that when Hernán Cortés landed in the New World, he ordered his men to burn their boats. The message was clear: We are conquering this land and there is no looking back. (Sadly, the Conquistadors did conquer the Aztecs, which led to their downfall.) During his invasion of Persia in 363, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate had his men burn the bridges and pontoons after his legions had crossed the Tigris. And perhaps most famously, the notorious Captain Bly had sailors burn the HMS Bounty after the mutinous crew landed on Pitcairn Island.

There are times in every man’s life when it’s necessary to burn the ships—to walk away from a person or situation and never look back. It could be to end an affair or inappropriate attachment; or when you need to walk away from a job where the boss is asking you to do something unethical.

As in the above cases, sometimes we must burn our ships to get away from something unhealthy or toxic. Many times, however, God’s man will be called to walk toward something that requires his full commitment. And as God would have it, that usually means moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar, from comfortable to uncomfortable, and from safe to dangerous. Consider this:

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. ––Matthew 4:18-20

Notice it doesn’t say Peter and Andrew told Jesus they’d sleep on it or get back to him within 48 hours. It says they dropped their nets “at once” to follow Him.

I want that kind of “at once” faith. To not have to think about it when God calls me to do something. And for sure, God is calling us—each and every day—to respond to at-once needs all around us, both big and little ones. The key is reconciling this within yourself, and determining ahead of time how you will respond. What ships do you need to burn that are holding you back? And conversely, what is holding you back when Jesus asks you to burn your ships for Him?

Lord, help me to determine today—right now—that I will not keep playing Christianity with a tentative mindset. Burn whatever ships and bridges You need to in order from me to serve You fully.