April 13, 2020 – Click here to listen
After days of planning, charting a course, loading fishing tackle, water, and bagging ice I was all set to cross the Gulf Stream and fish an area close to the Bahamas Saturday. Without warning a big problem developed and that was the weather. A cold front came in faster than forecast and the seas were whipped into a frenzy making it dangerous to even cross much less try to fish. I had heard the big yellowfin tuna, Marlin, and dolphin were stacked up at a temperature change about 75 miles to our east and after being cooped up for weeks, a friend of mine, who has been similarly on lockdown and I, decided to get some action packed fishing in for a day and then return home late that afternoon. We had everything planned including how we would process all of the fish after the 12-hour day ahead of us.
Alas it didn’t happen. I glumly had to put all my rods and reels back up and unpack much of what I had loaded. It had taken almost an entire day to prepare for this trip and now we couldn’t go. I was in a very sour mood and I began experiencing a severe “poor little old me” episode and was actually throwing stuff around in my shop. I reminded myself that I had cancelled our trip to Israel because of the virus and now it looks as though I will need to cancel our reservation in the Florida keys as well. Why am I stuck in this hell?
And then it hit me. I believe our conscience is in reality the Holy Spirit and He began reminding me that people were dying and their loved ones were grieving, others had lost their jobs and businesses and were facing financial ruin, lines to food banks were forming that were miles long, our country was being attacked by a vicious killer straight out of hell, and the media as usual was attacking President Trump and his team who are working 20 hours a day and fighting it at every turn. My problems became inconsequential at that very moment.
Suddenly I was deeply ashamed. I went into my study and sat down at my desk and prayed for God’s forgiveness. How could I be so self-centered? How could I be so engrossed in myself and not those around me? I then spent considerable amount of time praying for those who have been hurt so much by this disaster. I determined that I wasn’t going to complain one more time about having to stay home and refrain from doing any of the things I love to do.
I don’t know if anyone reading this has had similar feelings of being deprived of doing the things they love during this crazy time. Chances are you might have experienced some similar thoughts. Billy Graham said that self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. Ugh . . . Was he talking about me?
If you have moments when you think only of yourself, try and remember your inconvenience is always trumped by others’ suffering. Joyce Meyer wrote: If we live a self-directed, self-motivated, self-centered life, always needing to get our own way, then we’re going to be miserable. In fact, many times we believe it’s our problems that are making us unhappy when, in reality, it’s because we’re focused on ourselves! I know I was miserable while throwing my little temper tantrum and I did not like it. I discovered by focusing on Jesus and loving others as we do ourselves makes self-centeredness melt away. Thank God He forgives our sins.
Philippians 2:3
. . . in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.