Just Keep Swimming

Over Christmas Break my family visited the Newport Aquarium and enjoyed their evening light display. We also viewed the seals, sharks, halibut, and octopus in their nocturnal habitat. But I especially marveled at the colorful clownfish and blue tang, the real live versions of Nemo and Dory from the animated movies. 

Not unlike many of us, Dory's character has some clear attention issues. Imperfections in God's marvelous creation constantly remind us of the brokenness of sin. Despite being made in God's image, each one of us in various ways experience this tension. The tension of finding our identity as part of God's design, while also realizing our real need for redemption from brokenness. And this redemption comes with a beneficial bonus.

Paul writes to Timothy, "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." Fear is not the only ungodly spirit that this world's brokenness attempts to entrench in our hearts. But as chosen children of God, we are provided access to replace hurtful and painful emotions with God's more perfect design.

Dory's parents taught her the simple song "Just Keep Swimming" to guide her decision-making to overcome the obstacles in her way. In a much more magnified way, God's Holy Spirit inside of us can guide our thinking and thus our emotions. 

"Do not be anxious in anything" is an often-quoted Scripture encouragement. But how? Through the power and love and self-control found in the Holy Spirit. As humans of flesh, partnering with Christ to substitute our fleshly nature with His presence is simply what disciples do. Daily worship, surrender, humility, forgiveness, and connection with the Father, orders our world rightly. We are quick to forget, so we should be quick to access God's presence.

If the song "Just Keep Swimming" suddenly gets stuck in your head (my apologies), just be thankful that your memory is better than hers.