God's Coaching #241

God's Coaching #241

Have you ever been snorkeling? If so, you probably did it in warm, tropical waters filled with brilliantly colored reefs. You might have seen swarming schools of exotic fish or even sea turtles, sharks, eels, or rays. Bog snorkeling is nothing like that.

The World Bog Snorkeling Championships take place each August in the smallest town in Great Britain: Llanwrtyd Wells, in Wales. What’s a bog? Think of a peat bog as a type of spongy, grassy swamp. There’s a canal cut through it for the competition, and the water is like a bug-infested soup. Swimmers have zero visibility in the murky, brown liquid. Wet suits are highly recommended. Competitors swim two lengths in the 60-foot canal but can’t use traditional swimming strokes. It’s no aquatic paradise, but at least the money raised goes to charity.

What’s the Score?

You could say bog snorkeling is a cheap imposter of ocean snorkeling. If all you ever knew was splashing around blindly in muddy, slimy bog waters, you would miss out on the wonderful sights found in the ocean. Being able to tell the difference between the real thing and an imposter takes discernment, which means being able to see and tell the difference; it’s a skill God wants us to have.

We need discernment every day to tell the difference between God’s truth and and others’ lies. We’re bombarded by all sorts of messages. Movies, music, TV, video games, and advertisements all look and sound cool, but many of the messages are directly opposite of the Bible. It’s like they’re telling us that bog water is the best around. If we believe it, we’ll miss out on God’s see-through-blue tropical pools. As Paul wrote, we need “to understand what really matters” (Philippians 1:10). When we do, we can choose messages that pull us closer to God and help us obey and reflect him. Otherwise we’re just swimming in a stinking swamp.

On the Ball

Practice discernment. List a few of your favorite songs, movies, games, or shows. Think carefully. What are they really about? Do they push you closer to God or pull you away from him?

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Coach’s Comment

I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. Philippians 1:10