The Titanic serves two powerful lessons that are applicable to us today as Christians and parents. The ‘ship sinkers’ are the factors that led to the disaster that occurred on the day when the massive ship got drowned with so many passengers in it.  In the previous post we learnt one lesson from the shipwreck – negligence. A little coal flame was trivialized and a radio signal was ignored. Not long after, there was a shipwreck. We see the need to take little things serious especially when they affect moral and godly standards.

In this post another possible factor that preceded and contributed to the collapse of the Titanic is considered – over confidence.

 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

The ship prided in its state-of-the-art facilities, vastness and watertight compartments that suggested she was unsinkable. However, certain flaws were overlooked and this led to her collapse. If the compartments had been capped it would have prevented an overflow of water from one compartment to the other, thereby making it easier to contain the damage.  When I was in Primary school, I topped my class with little effort because my class population was few and lacked competition. So I felt confident in my intelligence. I barely studied Mathematics and English because I assumed there was nothing to read in those subjects. Mum always told me to avoid over confidence and she re-emphasized it when I changed school but I took it for granted. My class population in the new school was about five times that of my former school and your guess is as good as mine when my results came out that year- I came even below average. Knowledge puffs up. Don’t get carried away with the number of years you have spent in the faith. Keep studying and be open to learning lest the devil uses your ignorance or over-confidence against you.

Keep your guards up

Obstacles are what give victory its meaning. Peace is not the absence of crises around you; but the indwelling calmness in the midst of the crises. Success is not the absence of failures or setbacks but the ability to rise above them. A ship must sail through the waters. A successful voyage is not the absence of the waters, but the ability to stay above the waters till the end of the journey. The doom of the titanic began when the waters found its way into the ship and began to fill her compartments. 

We must travel through the waters (the world) but we must not let it get into our ship (our lives) lest it fills our compartments and we sink. What are the waters that fill the compartments of our ship today as God’s people?

• Worldliness

The world is polluted, therefore Christians must protect themselves from the pollutants of the world to avoid contamination. Crazy fashion trends, rape, prostitution, get-rich-quick schemes, idolatry, fraud, etc. are just a few among so many vices prevalent in the society today.   Do not be carried away by your environment. Always remember that you are a traveler on earth. You are just passing by, hence you need not become possessive of worldly things (1 Corinthians 7:31). These things infiltrate God’s temple (your body and soul) and defile it. As soon as this happens, the Christian is defeated. Be careful not to make a shipwreck of your faith for petty things the world tempts you with.

• Negative thinking patterns

The beginning of failure is the thought of it. Peter saw Jesus walked on the sea and he was intrigued. He desired to do same and Jesus consented. He had started walking on the sea until he gave room for fear and began to sink. Fear, doubts or unbelief can sink your ship if you give them room to fill in your heart. Initial fright may come up when you step into a new terrain but you must conquer it with optimism. Doubts also hinder your prayers (James 1:6-8)

• Negative Utterances

Be careful what you say because power lies on your tongue. Proclaim positive things on yourself. The Bible illustrates the power of the tongue in James 3:4 with ships; how as large as they are, are controlled by a small rudder.

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

Summary

Your life (and that of your family, if you are a parent) is like a ship sailing across the waters which is likened to this world and its cares. It behooves you to sail carefully to avoid making a shipwreck of your life. Be on the lookout for contaminants in your life or that of your children (e.g. pride, envy, malice, negative thoughts or utterances, etc.) and never overlook them no matter how small they seem because a little coal can smoulder into an uncontrollable fire that will ruin the ship. 

Remember that as long as the waters stay out, the ship does not sink.

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