Daily Devotional

November 3rd, 2023
by Pastor Wil Staley

A Boat’s Integrity
Philippians 4:8–9 - “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (NASB)

I remember the first time I got into a fishing boat. It wasn't that long ago actually and I went out with a friend and our sons to go fishing on the lake. Initially when getting into the boat the only thing I told myself was, “Yeah, this looks stable.” I didn't ask, “Who made the boat?” “If it was made well?” I hadn't seen anyone ride in the boat before. So, why would I trust that this boat would hold me when I don't know who made it, I don't know its quality, or if it will safely help me navigate the seemingly calm waters while fishing?

I'm sure that most of us would trust a fishing boat to hold us even if we've never gotten into that particular boat before. We likely wouldn't rigorously test it before taking it out onto the water. In fact, I might argue it would be downright silly to spend more time testing a boat rather than using it. With this much skepticism, we wouldn't experience the fun of actually being in the boat if we spent all our time testing it.

Most of us have experienced a boat whose structure has the integrity to hold us as we go out into the water or at least have seen countless individuals in boats whose integrity was not compromised. The crazy thing to think about is that when you're in a boat, water is constantly trying to get in. Which can be a lot like sin. And if we’re not careful as we’re navigating the waters of life, sin can creep in and compromise our integrity.

Our lives should be like a boat. Scripture invites us to be trustworthy in our leadership because, in our lives, the things we value are apparent to those around us. There are profound benefits when we lead lives of integrity, and when we don't, we are like a boat whose integrity has been compromised and is taking on water. Yet Paul gave us a pathway to do this well. He said we are to think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. We should not spend time dwelling on sin but rather should focus on the beauty in this life that we are called to live. When we do, God’s peace will be with us in every circumstance.

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