Off-Topic Thursday: Live Like a Dolphin

I have three favorite animals: dolphins, wolves, and eagles. I have a special place in my heart for others, too, but these are the standouts. The one I’ve loved the longest, though, is the dolphin.

 

Back in January of 2005 I had the privilege of swimming with 2 wonderful dolphins, Aqua and Luna. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and one I never thought I would repeat, but in October of 2010, I did it again. Different location, different dolphins, different experience, but still amazing.

 

As I was in the moment that first time, I had no thought other than just trying to take in everything I was experiencing and embedding it in my mind. The second time I was able to be more aware of my thoughts, not that I enjoyed it any less, of course. It was then that I realized something much more profound than the experience itself.

 

I discovered how alike dolphins and Christians are.

 

Dolphins, and all aquatic mammals, live in a very unique condition, due to the fact that their very living environment has the potential to destroy them all the time. They live in the water, but they must breathe air. If they stay in the water too long, they’ll drown, just as any mammal would. They must live in the water, but must also regularly come up for air to survive.

 

As Christians, we too live in an environment that has the potential to destroy us. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” And Jesus Himself said, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

 

We are temporary resident on Earth. We must live here. This side of Eternity, it’s where we were made to live. But just as the dolphins can’t remain in the water but must surface for fresh air to survive, so we can’t remain surrounded by the culture, the cares, and the corruption of the world. We must come up for air—in the form of spending time with God, worshipping and being refreshed by His Spirit—or we’ll drown in this sinful world.

 

There will come a day when we finally get to go to our real home. In the meantime, remember the dolphins. They know better than to stay submerged. They know that to live they must regularly enter the realm where they can be nourished by fresh air. Are we that smart? Or do we try to slog through and hope for the best?

 

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:17-21)

 

Question: Do you regularly “come up for air”? Can you tell a difference when you don’t? Talk about it in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.