Always Give Them The Buoy...Jesus is the Buoy

A while ago, God started giving me this message, "Always give them the buoy. Jesus is the buoy. You are not the buoy."

When I was in my early twenties, I worked at the local YMCA. I was a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons to 3-5 year olds. I had wanted to go into the Navy and be in search and rescue, but that didn't work out. So, I started going to the Y and swimming and running, training to be a lifeguard. 

One of the things we were taught during our lifeguard training was how to use a rescue buoy or rescue tube. When we see someone drowning, and we get into the water with them, we were supposed to extend the rescue buoy to them, not extend ourselves first. People who are drowning are often panicking. And because they are panicking, if you try to use yourself to rescue them, they could drown you too.

This is not to say that we never help people, because we do. But we are not their source.

In this life, many people feel as though they are drowning. They might feel as though they are drowning in sickness, or emotional pain, or financial difficulty, or relationship issues. Jesus is the buoy in all these situations. You cannot be the buoy. They will drown you. You are not equipped to be the rescuer. But when you have the rescuer, you can give him to them, and he will save them.

This goes both ways. There will be times in our lives when we are facing situations where we may feel like we are drowning too.  We cannot make other people the buoy for us.  It is important that we learn how to look to Jesus to rescue us as well during these times.

...casting all your upon Him, for He cares for you.-1 Peter 5:7

I am the way, the truth, and the life...-John 14:6