“But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, ‘You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.’”
Acts 27:31 (NLT)
The sailors sense that the shipwreck Paul prophesied is coming, and fear creeps in. They have ignored God’s promise of safety for everyone. The ship has not gone down yet, but they begin to abandon it. The sailors are trying to take control of their lives. They are letting fear drive their decisions, so they take the lifeboat and begin to get into it.
Paul notices what is going on and asks those in charge to stop the sailors. Paul knows they are part of God’s plan to save the 276 people on board. The sailors abandoning the ship would have caused the death of hundreds. So Paul is not just looking out for himself; he is looking out for everyone. The soldiers took hold of courage instead of fear by listening to Paul and cutting the ropes, removing the sailors’ ability to leave.
Without leadership, people are often crushed and put in harm’s way. But when those equipped to lead stay aboard, remain engaged, and do not abandon the people, God can use them to save everyone. When the pilot, shepherd, pastor, or leader runs from the people God has called them to, it blocks God’s ability to fulfill His plans through that leader. Shepherds and leaders need people around them to hold them accountable and cut the ropes. They also need a level of devotion that encourages them to fall with the ship, if they have to, in order to try and save it.
If you’re a leader and things are going wrong, scaring you, or making you uncomfortable, and you are tempted to abandon the ship, take courage from God today and move forward in faith. If you’re an encouragement or support to a leader like that, please bring hope and help them cut the ropes so they can become devoted again to their assignment. If God has promised you something, but you want to take control because it is not going the way you thought it would, trust God today. Let’s be patient, stand on what God said would happen, and ask Him for our next steps, not fear, control, worry, or anxiety.