Another great maritime reference in the Bible is a warning to not shipwreck your faith.
having faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and have suffered the shipwreck of their faith. (1 Tim 1:19)
Shipwrecks result in financial loss, emotional distress, possible injury, and at times death. Shipwrecking your faith will cause major problems in life too. Please know that the word ‘faith’ used here is speaking of your adherence and belief in Christian doctrine and sound teaching. Let’s talk about how not to shipwreck your faith.
The cause of shipwrecks
Most modern shipwrecks are NOT caused by storms but because of human error. Ships wreck due to mistakes by the captain and crew. For example, they don’t pay close enough attention to what’s ahead and run up on rocks or a sand bar. In 2012, this is exactly what happened to a cruise ship Costa Concordia off Italy. Other shipwrecks can be caused by poor maintenance. The MS Estonia sank in 1994 due to poor maintenance on a cargo door that flung open in heavy seas causing it to flood and capsize. Poor construction is another reason ships wreck. For example, the Titanic sank in 1912 because substandard bolts were used to hold the metal plates in place. Those bolts gave way when the ship glanced against an iceberg that should not have sunk it.
A cause of shipwrecked faith
Our anchor verse mentions that your need to guard your conscience to prevent a faith shipwreck. Again, keep in mind that ‘faith’ here is your adherence and belief in Christian doctrine and sound teaching. You shipwreck this faith by neglecting or ignoring your conscience. Here’s how. Your conscience is your mechanism to know right from wrong. That knowledge of right from wrong comes from God’s Spirit in you, your knowledge of Scripture, and the general knowledge God placed in your heart. When you ignore your conscience, you are opening yourself up to trouble. Think of your conscience as the hull of your ship. Each time you ignore your conscience, you are poking holes in your hull. The more you ignore it, the more holes, and it is only a matter of time before you have enough holes in your hull to sink and shipwreck. You see, each time you ignore your conscience you are becoming more callous and harder because you are living against Christian doctrine and sound teaching. This is a slippery slope. The more you ignore Christine doctrine, right living, and sound teaching, the more often you will. Left unchecked, your lifestyle will not look anything like that of a Christian’s. Just like a ship that wrecked on the rocks no longer looks like the beautiful structure it was. This kind of faith shipwreck doesn’t happen in an instant, it happens over time by ignoring your conscience and the Holy Spirit.
Build and live carefully to avoid shipwreck
The Titanic sank because it was not built properly. To ensure your faith is not shipwrecked, make sure you have built your beliefs and lifestyle on sound Christian doctrine and teaching. Read the Bible, listen to godly preachers, and pray.
Watch the path of your life carefully. Don’t shipwreck by failing to see the hazards ahead of you in life. Sailors use radar and maps of the sea to know where there are hazards below the surface so they can navigate around them. The Bible is your map and radar of the life hazards you should avoid. Read and learn from it and then apply it to your life. Studying and knowing where the hazards are is not enough for safe passage though. You need to constantly paying attention to where you are and where you are heading to avoid the hazards. In a moment of not paying attention you can run into a rock. Know the obstacles and always pay attention to avoid them. Your conscience is your rudder to steer you away from faith obstacles.
If you have shipwrecked your faith, don’t lose hope. The Apostle Paul survived 3 literal shipwrecks. You can recover from a spiritual shipwreck because the Lord God is powerful, loving, forgiving, merciful, gracious, and kind.
3 So tell the people: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Return to Me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts. (Zech 1:3)
Turn back to God with an apology and humble heart asking for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Think about it
What are some seemingly “minor” life compromises you make that are putting tiny holes in your conscience?
The Costa Concordia sank because the captain deviated from a safe, proven path just to show off (the “sail-by salute”). In what ways do you steer too close to spiritual hazards? Is there a good reason for such a close call?
The MS Estonia sank because a door lock was slowly worn down over time and never repaired. What area of your spiritual life or character needs “preventative maintenance” right now before a heavy storm exposes the weakness?
The Titanic was doomed by cheap, brittle rivets that shattered under pressure. Do you build your spiritual life and worldview with “substandard materials” like worldly philosophies; wood, hay or stubble (1 Cor 3:11-12), or sand (Mt 7:24-27)?
What are some hazards you’ve hit in the past and how can you avoid them in the future?
Have you been shipwrecked? If so, what do you need to do to make things right (Zech 1:3)? How do you return to God?
