Do You Have Someone Walking With You?

Surfing is one of those sports that is near impossible to begin and progress alone. Most surfers can think back to a parent or a friend that helped their surfing journey get started. They provided not only the knowledge on what equipment to use, but the encouragement and necessary feedback to progress. Looking back on my surfing journey, one of the biggest reasons why it took me so long to progress was due to learning to surf later in life. I didn’t have anyone to showing me how to surf. I had to unlearn a lot of bad habits. In contrast, to a friend who started surfing even later than I did, progressed significantly faster because she had people in her life helping her along the way. She went from long boarding at our local beginner surf break, to short boarding at Ocean Beach; which is an advanced spot, within two years. It was pretty amazing to witness. 

It made me think of the parallels between our surfing journey and our faith journey. It is near impossible to start your walk with Jesus alone. Nor can you sustain your walk, without help along the way. Those that get plugged into community and have mentors walking with them, will see their faith grow faster and be a lot stronger. Regardless of when they begin their walk with Jesus, than those who choose a solo path. Jesus called us to be disciples, which simply means being a student. We all need to be students of Jesus and learn to follow Him. The best way to do that is to follow someone who has been walking with Jesus, longer than we have. We never grow out of the student phase. Even when we advance in our faith and send it on bigger faith adventures. It only becomes even more critical for us to have people in our life to help guide us and keep us on the path following Jesus. 

Do you have someone that is personally walking with you in your faith? If not, today is a good day to start looking for someone that has a faith journey you would want to follow. This person should be someone that has walked with Jesus longer than you, has a life of integrity, is humble, encouraging and knows when to call you out when needed. They won’t be perfect, nor will they expect perfection from you, but they will be a necessary part of your journey following Jesus. Once you think of someone, the only thing left to do is to be bold and ask them! I know it might feel intimidating, but I guarantee it will be worth it. Just send it!

Proverbs 1:5 “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels”

Photo By: Marina Mantolan