December 7, 2020
By Julianne Hudson
Calling all pool owners! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the work you do and give you a round of applause. If you don’t own a pool, you may not realize all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the upkeep. You don’t just take off the cover and call it a day. It is a daily process. Chlorine must be filtered. Chemicals must be mixed. Vacuuming is recommended. Skimming an endless number of bugs is needed. This is only for the inside of the pool. The outside, deck and surroundings are a totally different project.
Anytime you plan a vacation, whether it’s a short one or extended stay, you need to plan for the upkeep. If not, you will pay the cost down the road. I’m not sure why, but the moment we leave, our pool seems to become a magnet for everything from a frog, to a spider, to my towel floating aimlessly. And when a storm comes, sometimes the damage brings multiple new jobs before the pool returns to a clear state. Everyone wants to jump into a pool that is clear and perfect. What most don’t understand is the amount of time, investment, and patience it takes to make it this way.
We can see some similarities in our journey with Christ. The moment we decide to place our faith in Jesus rather than ourselves is a beautiful one that we should never forget. But in that moment, we realize that like our pools, we cannot filter out temptations by ourselves. We need to depend on Jesus. What we are often unaware of is the constant upkeep we need to practice our faith.
Faith shouldn’t end that moment but should continue to grow and mature. We need to realize that when we are weak, He is strong, and we can learn from failure. We need to begin practicing how to skim out the negativity or “bugs” of this world. In a world full of selfish ambition and prideful motives, we can easily drown in our pools, letting the “chemicals” of life suffocate us and poison our souls.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33, NIV
The waves are inevitable, but we can overcome and find victory in Jesus. Jesus didn’t go to the cross and overcome this world for us to just choose faith one day and that be the end of it. He overcame so we may be a living sacrifice of His love and bring glory to His name (Romans 12:1).
Consider the constant upkeep you must do to grow in faith. Let’s be people who dive into the waters, dive into Scripture, and skim out what is holding us back from living for Jesus.
