Book Notes Part 2--Comparison, Fear, and Comfort

Ortberg lists three reasons why people "stay in the boat": comparison, fear, and comfort. He uses the parable of the talents to illustrate. When we compare our talents & abilities to those of someone else, it leads only to pride or envy and can prevent us from stepping out where God has called us. It does no good to wish you had someone else's gifts. I must choose to appreciate my gifts and remember that I will give an account of what I do with what I'm given.

Some areas Ortberg mentions for consideration are intelligence, relationships, energy level, and temperment. These struck a chord with me because they are often areas where I'm tempted to wish I had something more or something different. The thinking can go something like this: "I'm not as smart as him/her. There's no way I could write something that good." The result: I bury my ideas and write nothing. Here's another one: "I could accomplish so much more if I didn't have this stupid inner ear problem." The result: I waste precious time and energy wallowing in self-pity and denial, when I could be doing something, however small, productive. Yep, comparison keeps me in the boat.

Fear can also keep us in the boat. Ortberg notes that Peter asks Jesus for a command to step out rather than a promise that everything would work out. I don't know about you, but I always go looking for the promise, specifically the promise that says everything is gonna work out fine. I'll be honest, I don't always want the command, whatever it may be. It's easy enough to say, "Yeah, I'm ready to walk on the water", but it's another thing to be standing there staring at waves taller than you are, hearing Jesus say "go", but seeing no assurance of safety or victory. That's a hard step to take.

The third reason Ortberg discusses is comfort. Sometimes we are just so comfortable in our boat that we refuse to step out of it. We may hear the call of God, but we refuse to move because we're happy with the way things are now.

I think I'm guilty of allowing all three to keep me in the boat. It's important to note that the third servant in the parable of the talents is described as wicked and lazy. Those are not words I would want Jesus using to describe me. So the question all of this is getting at is: "What has the Lord given you that you need to invest in the kingdom?"