Stay the Course: Stay True to YOUR Course

It has been about five years since I set sail on an intentional pursuit of the dreams God placed in my heart. And just like any other sailor, I have seen all kinds of weather! Amidst some seasons of beautiful, blue-sky days and almost effortless smooth sailing, I have seen squalls, storms, doldrums, and even a leaky boat.

I’m still a novice, but I’m starting to get my sea legs. So let me share with you some ideas that have helped this sailor stay the course.

Keep your compass close at hand.

On those days when the wind fills your sails, don’t get cocky and think you’ve got your course memorized. Success can be deceiving , disorienting storms can take us by surprise, but God’s word never changes. {<<<===click to tweet} Frequent checks of your trajectory via the compass of truth will keep you on course no matter what the circumstances.

Stay true to YOUR course.

While we all have the same ultimate destination, the course we follow is as unique as each one of us. It’s easy to look around at other God-sized dreamers and get distracted. If you are feeling overwhelmed, chances are you may have mixed up your charts with someone else’s. Take time to pull out your compass, consult your captain, and get back on the course He’s laid out for you.

Don’t go it alone.

A solo sea journey is by far the most dangerous. Every good sailor knows there is safety in numbers (two are better than one) and wisdom in the counsel of many. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul used the analogy of a body to demonstrate just how integral our need for one another is.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

And then, just to show us how important every member is, he breaks it down a bit:

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

At first glance, it seems a little silly, but I think that’s exactly what Paul is going for! He wants to illustrate how ridiculous it is to think that one member of the body of Christ wouldn’t consider itself as necessary as another to the body’s function as a whole.

Then Paul flips it to show us that one single part of the body can’t logically reject another:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

All the members of the body are necessary! In fact, the one’s we might be tempted to consider unnecessary are actually the ones we’re to treat with the greatest honor and care.

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

This principle is so important to keep in the forefront of our hearts and minds as we pursue our God-sized dreams. The temptation to compare and deem either ourselves or anyone else unnecessary is a big one! We need to remind ourselves of our vital interdependence as the body of Christ.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

This is really the best part of the promise. As members of the body of Christ, we are never alone whether we’re suffering or celebrating. {<<<===click to tweet} Entering into both the sorrow and joy of our fellow members is one of the greatest privileges we have as God-sized dreamers and followers of Jesus.

These are a few resources that I have used to stay the course:

goTandem – a Bible app for smart phones, goTandem delivers a personalized experience with the Bible designed to strengthen and encourage you along your unique spiritual journey. Like a compass, I can check it all throughout the day!

Holley Gerth’s books – if you’ve been around here awhile, you know Holley Gerth is a major encourager to women and especially God-sized dreamers. I refer back to her inspiring and insightful books regularly. In particular, You’re Already Amazing and You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream are full of practical wisdom for the journey.

Life coaching – My life coaching experience has been phenomenal. It has literally enabled me to move mountains, or, to stick with our analogy, stay afloat! These are two life coaches that I highly recommend: Carey Bailey & Emily Dean

Do you have any tools that have helped you stay your course? Would you tell us about them in the comments?