"Loose Cannons"

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. (1 Timothy 1:18-19 NLT).

Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called Ninety-Three. It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.

Life's can certainly be like that. Not always, but more often than not, it isn't the storms without that cause us the most problems, but the storms that rage within us. A spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, or greed can shipwreck our lives. There are others like unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, or lust. These, if not confronted and resolved, can readily cause shipwreck of our relations, our faith, or even our life.

There are two things the Apostle Paul encourages Timothy to do to prevent such a shipwreck. First, he says to cling to your faith. It is our faith in the finished work of Christ that seals the promise of eternal life that allows us to move forward, even in the most difficult of season without becoming allowing any of these motions to control us. Knowing that our future is secure gives us hope. And, hope is our best weapon against anything we may face now. Hope secures our present because we know that our future is already determined!

The second thing that Paul says is to keep your conscience clear. This is a matter of being “caught up” in your forgiveness. That includes forgiving others and yourself. Forgiveness from God is the beginning point of course. However, Jesus has already secured that for us in the cross, ask for it. Then apply that forgiveness to yourself and others. This is not excusing the behavior. It is setting the stage for genuine renewal and transformation. Take care of your loose cannons today and secure your ship!