Acts 27:31
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
When I was being taught how to fly airplanes, my instructor taught me not to turn around if I ever got into a storm. He said that when you get into a storm and turn around, you often end up turning into the fiercest part of the storm. His admonition was to go through the storm because that likely is the safest direction. He was teaching me not to jump ship because of the storms.
Paul was being transported as a prisoner to Rome. He warned the captain of the ship that a storm was coming, but the captain did not listen. When the storm came, and it seemed as if the storm was going to kill them, Paul admonished everyone, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Paul was saying to these people, don’t jump ship. In other words, their safety was found by staying in the ship. Though it seemed as if the ship was going to be broken and they all would die, they were safer in the ship while they faced the storm than they would be by jumping ship. Because they all listened, not one person died.
My friend, we all face storms in life, but the storms are not the time to jump ship and stop serving God. It is the storm that proves our trust to God that He can deliver. Many, who seemed to be solid Christians, have jumped ship in their storm only to find that regret and heartache followed. When tough times come, you must abide in the ship so that you are safe. The ship that has brought you this far will get you through the storms if you don’t jump ship. Let me share a few areas where you must stay on the ship.
First, don’t jump ship when battles come. Battles are very unpleasant, but jumping ship and going to the world never makes life easier. Many jumped ship when the battles came and thought the other side would be easier, but they found that they lost their family and children on the other side.
Second, don’t jump ship because your children have gone wayward. Just because your children choose to go wayward does not mean you should quit your church and follow them into compromise. The worst thing to do when your children go wayward is to jump ship, because by jumping ship you are telling your children that what you taught them was not true. Stay in the ship of the old paths when your children jump ship because your testimony of staying on the ship may be the only thing that will bring them back to you.
Third, don’t jump ship when your church goes through tough times. Too many are looking for a new ship to ride on when the old ship of the local church that has brought them this far is the safest ship to get them to their destination. I have seen many who have jumped ship and left a church and their pastor in the midst of the battle, but they all lose their children. If the church you have attended was the right church before the battles, it is still the right church during the battles. Never jump ship just because your church is facing battles.
Fourth, don’t jump ship in the tough times. Whether it is financial struggle, health struggles, or just a tough time you are facing in your personal life, you need to stay on the ship because that is where you are safe. I would rather die by staying on the ship than die because I jumped ship in the tough times. It’s tempting to jump ship and quit in the tough times; safety to get through those times will only be found if you stay on the ship.
