Small sailboats are steered by a simple lever called a “tiller” which is attached to the rudder. Continuing the metaphor of discipleship and sailing, I want to add one other similarity. We have said that in order to capture the invisible, renewable power of the wind of the Spirit, we need to rig the sails of spiritual practices on a mast of self-discipline. But to pursue our course of pleasing God (doing His will) we need a means to steer our sailboat.
The “tiller” or steering device is what a sailor uses to keep the bow (front) of the boat pointed in the direction that maximizes the current wind conditions. Unlike a motor powered boat, a sailboat does not steer in a straight line to its destination. A sailor is constantly adjusting for the strength and direction of the wind as well as the currents. The sailor’s path to his/her destination is a series of zigzags that are called “tacks” in nautical language. Because the strength and direction of the wind is constantly changing, a sailor cannot simply be on autopilot. He must constantly be sensitive and adjust to the wind.
Pressing our metaphor a little farther, an apprentice of Christ is one who walks by the Spirit, sensing and adjusting to His voice in the context of everyday life. Our spiritual tiller is our response to what the Spirit is showing us in the Word. That response involves obedience, but it is much more than following a list of rules or commands. It is about discerning and complying with the will and pleasure of our King. It is about aligning our lives with His will, ways, values, purposes, promises, as well as specific commands. The tiller makes this possible as it maneuvers us into position to capture the wind in our sails, to keep us pointed in the right direction, to be sensitive to the Spirit and to thus live the life that pleases the Lord.
There is another interesting parallel of the sailboat tiller and alignment with God’s will. The tiller, connected directly to the rudder operates in a counter-intuitive way; you move the tiller right to go left and vice versa. Initially God’s ways also seem counter-intuitive. His Kingdom functions in a way that is opposite of our culture and natural inclinations. Jesus said in His Kingdom:
- To be first you must be last
- The greater reality is not what is seen but what is unseen
- Getting comes by giving
- Honor comes by humility
- Strength comes through weakness
- Influence comes through serving
It takes some practice (and faith) to live in a kingdom way. It also takes intentionality to step in the direction of our faith. When we are obedient, the power of the Spirit is released. This pattern is consistent throughout Scripture.
A classic Old Testament example occurs when the children of Israel finally get to the Jordan River under Joshua’s leadership. God tells them not only to cross the river with no bridges but to cross it at flood stage, making the difficult impossible. He instructs the priests to take the ark and precede the people in crossing the swollen river. Only when they stepped into the water, did He stop the flow upstream. Had they not gotten their feet wet, they would not have experienced His power (Joshua 3:13).
Jesus’ pattern in healing people was to ask them to do the impossible. He asked the man with the withered hand to stretch it out (Matt. 12:13). He asked the paralytic man to get up from his bed and walk (Luke 5:24). He told Peter if he was to walk on water, he would have to get out of the boat (Matt. 14:28-29). As they took action in the direction of their faith and God’s Word, they experienced His power. Now as then, obedience releases the power of the Spirit of God to live the life He has chosen for us.
People do not drift towards holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.*
Our alignment/obedience to all that He has commanded is the response of an apprentice of Christ. Our hand is on the tiller of our lives. It is our action, choices, and responses that determine the direction of our sailboat. It take more than the wind, mast, and sails. It takes sensitivity to the gentle wind of the Spirit of God and obedient hands on the tiller to align ourselves with Christ. Only then can we counter the cultural currents and arrive safely at our destination.
Those who trifle at the tiller risk the wrath of the waves. (Anonymous marooned sailor)
*DA Carson, For The Love of God, Volume Two (Wheaton: Crossway, 1999)
Reflection:
- What additional counter-intuitive kingdom ways can you think of?
- What are some implications of thinking “alignment” vs. “commands”?
- Can you think of a time in your spiritual journey where you had to step out in the direction of your faith before you sensed His power?
I love it! Very well said, now if I can apply it to my life. Challenge.