Are you a floater or a swimmer? What I mean is, when it comes to your relationship with God, do you just float along and let the current of life carry you wherever, or are you actively swimming in a particular direction?

My daughter, Olivea, and I recently enjoyed several laps around the lazy river at the resort where we were staying. With no agenda and no schedule, Olivea and I took the opportunity to just float along and be together, letting the current navigate us.

But as I’ve thought about it, I’m afraid sometimes my relationship with God looks like that…an extended float down the lazy river. Rather than intentionally applying myself to learning and growing in God’s grace, I find myself just drifting along on an aimless loop.

Sound familiar?

Most of us would probably admit that we’ve been in both modes – sometimes floating, sometimes swimming. And the floaters among us can share a few things we’ve learned, from experience:

1. When we just float and take a go with the flow approach, our commitment level to Christian community isn’t very high. It’s not that we don’t want to participate in church, but there are so many things sucking us in other directions.
2. When we’re just floating instead of swimming, our time with God gets crowded out by everything else. The general current of life seems to move us away – not toward closer fellowship with Jesus.
3. When we’re floating spiritually, we get by on mere fumes and memories of what our relationship with God used to be like rather than our current experience with Him.

I am reminded today that while there are times in life that it is good to just float for a spell, there is also a time to swim, a time to get in there and make a splash for Jesus’ sake. Floating in the grace of God is good, but swimming in it, that’s even better.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

-II Peter 3:18

It’s a new day with God. Run (or swim) with it.