Standing Still Leads to Falls
An SUP Paddling Devotional
The worst position to be in on a paddle board is standing completely still, hesitating, trying to decide what to do. Paddlers call it "freeze mode" and it's a guaranteed recipe for falling off. You're not moving forward, not adjusting, not flowing with the water. You're just tensing up and waiting for instability to take you down.
The moment you commit – paddle forward, navigate around an obstacle, respond to a wave – you regain stability. But in that moment of hesitation and stillness, you're most vulnerable.
Spiritually, hesitation leads to vulnerability.
James 1:6-8 says: "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
The "double-minded" person – the one standing still in hesitation, torn between two directions – is unstable. Indecision leads to instability.
Proverbs 29:25 says: "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."
Hesitation often comes from fear – fear of what others think, fear of failure, fear of making the wrong choice. But fear-based hesitation leads to vulnerability and falls. Trust-based movement leads to safety.
2 Timothy 1:7 says: "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and a sound mind."
God gives power, not timidity. Movement, not hesitation. A sound mind that can make decisions and move forward.
Luke 9:62 records Jesus saying: "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Don't look back. Don't hesitate. Don't stand still trying to decide. Put your hand to the plow and move forward. Commit and navigate. Hesitation and looking back lead to falls.
Tomorrow's Practice: Identify one decision you've been hesitating on. One direction you sense God calling you toward but you're afraid to commit. Tomorrow, make a decision. Not necessarily the perfect decision – just a committed decision. Move forward. Notice how commitment actually creates stability rather than the hesitation you feared would create safety.
Reflection Question: What decision or direction have you been hesitating on, and how might your hesitation be creating the instability you're afraid of, when actual forward movement might create the stability you're seeking?