God & My Submarine

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22

During my tenure in the US Navy, I had the honor of leading a team that drove a submarine. Normally, submarines run very silent in the oceans and try to remain undetected by other ships. You have probably heard the term, ‘Run Silent, Run Deep’. Other country’s ships and submarines often try to find and trail US submarines to get intelligence on the sounds they tend to make. Just like cars though, submarines have blind spots where they can’t see if another submarine is behind them. The blind spot is called the baffles. Submarines often clear their baffles by turning at enough of an angle to see in their baffles and ensure no one is behind the submarine. Russian submarines used to perform a maneuver to clear their baffles by turning around 180 degrees. This obviously was very dangerous as they would turn completely around and come back in the opposite direction. If another submarine was in their baffles, they now ran the risk of running directly into them. This maneuver was called the ‘Crazy Ivan’.

As Christian men, there are times in life when we get off track of what we are supposed to be doing. The world has many temptations and it is easy to lose focus on the path we should be following. The word of God gives us the direction and way we should be leading our lives, but none of us are perfect and we can easily slip up. Whether it’s money, technology, media, work, relationships, hobbies, ourselves, or other things, we often put our focus on these things and it causes us to lose focus on God’s word. Just like in the submarine story above, these things are in our baffles and we do not realize they are there. If we continue down this current path, these distractions and temptations can harm us or cause hurt to the people around us.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

If we find our lives getting out of hand, the temptations of the world leading us down wrong paths, or the distractions in this world getting the upper hand with us, it’s time for a new direction. We know the path we should be on so why don’t we get back on it? It is time to take drastic action and change our course. It is time for the ‘Crazy Ivan’. In the context of our lives, it is time to face what is in our baffles, turn 180 degrees around, and face head on our challenges. 

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

Many things can cause us to veer off the path that Jesus wants us to stay on. Sometimes, it is hard to recognize we are not on track. Think of it this way, if a ship steers off course by only one degree, over a period of time, the ship gets really far off its intended path. Even tough it is not easy for us to always know we are off track, we usually hear from others or deep inside us we can feel that something just isn’t right. We know the answer to getting back to the righteous path. It is Jesus. Praying and getting our mind focused back on God are the first steps to getting that peace back in our life.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

One of the most dangerous evolutions that a submarine does is come to periscope depth. The only way a submarine can see the outside world from below the surface of the ocean is to stick the periscope out of the water and take a look around. Getting to the point of having the periscope out of the water and seeing the surface of the ocean involves many dangerous steps. As the submarine is coming up to periscope depth, the officer of the deck is spinning around on the periscope and is looking up at the surface. As the periscope breaks the water surface, this is where it gets extremely dangerous. The officer of the deck has to make a decision in about 2 seconds as he spins around. If he sees nothing he calls “no close contacts”. If he sees anything that remotely resembles danger, he calls “emergency deep”. The submarine immediately dives back down to a safe depth to ensure the submarine does not collide with another object.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

How often in our daily lives do we start paying more attention to the world versus paying attention to God’s word. The distractions and temptations of the world make it so easy to lose focus. The news, social media, music, movies, and a countless score of other outlets are all trying to influence us. They even call themselves “influencers”. Over time, these influencers will break you down if you let them, and you will start to believe the things they are saying. Many of us men will start to become prideful, the root of all sin. This pride manifests itself into believing we are self-sufficient and we don’t need others help, including God. But do not think for a moment that this isn’t the enemy. It is flat out spiritual warfare. The enemy will find your weakest link to exploit and doesn’t care when, where, or how he does it, just as long as the deception occurs. We must be on the lookout at all times.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Men, sometimes we wander from the path that God has chosen for us. We get caught up in the world at times and it makes it hard to make correct decisions. We have to know how to recognize there are signs that we should see to show us we are going off track. The first sign is when we start relaxing the amount of time we pray or spend time in God’s word. Part of the armor of God is the word of God and it is meant for fighting spiritual warfare. Another sign is when we get new idols. In other words, something we start loving or paying attention to more than God. Men, we have all done it. We start idolizing work, money, sports, hobbies, cars, etc. They make us lose our focus on our one true idol, God. Still a third warning sign is our pride. Again, we all get prideful at times and it leads to self-sufficiency and less needing God in our lives. We give our enemy a perfect time to strike. A fourth sign that we are wandering is when we know we have committed a sin, yet we turn around and do it again. If we are honest, we know when we are doing something wrong or in the wrong environment. That gut feeling we get that it isn’t right is Jesus calling us to stop.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Men, when we start to wander off our normal paths of life, we need to recognize the danger signs. As we get closer and closer to danger, it is time to take emergency measures to get back to safety, and remove ourselves from the outstretched arms of the enemy. It is time to call “emergency deep” and maneuver ourselves back to Jesus. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

On a submarine, everything must work properly, especially the systems that keep the submarine operating correctly. If the vital systems of a submarine start to malfunction, it could lead to potential problems or in the worst case, sinking. In order to prevent this type of catastrophic failure, a system is in place where periodic testing and maintenance is performed to ensure the equipment is operable. The crew systematically ensures that all maintenance is kept up to date. Now, the crew knows that this testing and maintenance is vital to survival, yet usually, there are a lot of grumpy, whining crew members that take on these tasks daily. It has to be done, yet sometimes it’s a hassle. But there is one item so important to life on a submarine, that when it needs maintenance or is “down” (breaks), almost everybody will get in line to help fix it. The item we are talking about is none other than the ice cream machine. Yes, you read that correctly, the ice cream machine. It doesn’t provide any safety benefit to the crew or equipment, and yet for morale purposes, it is the number one thing that will get fixed rapidly. Most will gripe about the periodic ship maintenance, but most will help fix the ice cream machine without a whimper.

In our daily lives as men, we often have possessions which can easily become more important to us than God. We know God, we know the way we are supposed to behave, and yet there are times when we lose sight of this and put other things before Him. They become so important to us, just like the ice cream machine on the submarine, they become our idols. They come first in our lives. Think about it. These other idols have taken hold of us and our thoughts, our words, and our actions are all driven by these idols. These idols have now replaced themselves in our hearts and have somewhat displaced Jesus. They have become a substitute for God.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

As men, the world is full of deception and temptation and it is easy to fall into the trap of having an idol more important than God. God made our whole existence to be pleasing to him and yet sometimes we turn our backs on Him. We find things which please us and then they take over. We should know, this is the enemy. Deception is one big trick in his playbook. It is not wrong to like sports, cars, work, or other things, it’s just wrong to put them before God. Just like the ice cream machine had no importance to the safety of the ship, idols other than God will not serve any purpose or make you any happier in the long run. In fact, the more we worship an idol more than God, the farther we fall from God. Falling away from God never leads to anything that is good. Generally we as men get ourselves into trouble when this happens.

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3

Our world is changing. It is becoming harder and harder for men to remain on the right path, the path that includes God. The world is full of deception and it casts its evil net like a big fishing net, gobbling up all who are unaware. We must focus on God, get into His word every day, so that we can go on the offensive and fight back. The enemy is relentless and will never stop, even at your lowest moment. We must remain strong and remain on the righteous path as the world around us becomes darker and darker.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

Stay in the word and continue to live as Jesus wanted us to live. Our world depends on men being strong in the word and being an example to upcoming generations. More and more people are falling away from God because they are seeing less and less of God and have no examples to guide them. We can reverse the trend by becoming disciples of the word and spreading the gospel to all.

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” Galatians 4:8-9

All submarines have what is known as a “Crush Depth”. Crush depth is the depth at which the submarine has gone so deep under water that the outer and inner hull strength cannot withstand the water pressure and the submarine implodes. Essentially, the submarine collapses on itself and the crew is instantly killed. This is possibly the worst scenario a submarine can face and results in the destruction of the submarine and life. A submarine is only designed to go so deep and complete failure is imminent if you reach a certain point. There are limits to the steel as it begins to fatigue under the great stress of the water and eventually it passes its forgiveness point.

There are times in life that sometimes we as men feel as if we have gone too far. We have made a mistake or we have done something that we feel we can never recover from. Our actions or words have crossed that proverbial threshold of what is unconscionable. Like Saul in the Bible, we view ourselves as the “worst sinner”. We may even think our life is over. We feel as if we have reached our “Crush Depth”. In our mind, there is nothing that can save us now. The good news is that God has no Crush Depth. There is nothing we can do that our God cannot show us His enormous grace in and provide the forgiveness we need. Over and over in the Bible God uses the worst of sinners to make the biggest impact in the world for Christ. By showing His tremendous grace, God transforms the hearts of those who feel they have nothing left in the tank.

“To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” Jonah 2:6-9 NIV

God has a plan for all of us and it is up to us to realize what our gifts are and utilize them to bless others. We often get sidetracked by the world and sometimes we get to a place where we think we cannot recover from. There is a way out, and it is through Jesus. It will be hard, there will be consequences, there will be pain, but we will learn from our transgressions and rise up to honor the word. This will be the time when we need to repent of our sins, pray hard in the name of Jesus, and then act like the men we were created to be. God is never going to leave you through any heartache and pain, but we must find the strength to get back on his path for us.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NIV

A good example in the Bible of how no one is beyond the saving grace of God comes from the story of Saul (Paul) who was a horrible human being. He persecuted the early church by brutal methods and had Christians jailed, beaten, and even killed in this persecution. But as usual, on the road to Damascus, Jesus steps in and blinds Paul to allow Him to eventually heal Him to show his glory. Paul is saved to allow him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout many cities. He is credited by many as writing 14 books of the Bible.

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16 NLT

One of the goals of a submarine during deployment is to remain undetected by anyone, including enemy combatants. No one is supposed to know where US submarines are located. This is a strategic and tactical way the submarines are used as deterrents. One of the evolutions that submarines engage in is called “Rig for Red”. What happens during this time is that the entire submarine turns off all white lighting and instead turns on red lights in order to provide visibility. Rigging for Red early enough allows the eyes to become acclimated to the red light so that visibility is not hampered later. This is usually done when the submarine will later ascend to periscope depth so that no one can see the white light of the periscope when it breaks the surface, especially if it is at night. Whenever the potential of danger is present on a submarine, the ship is in “Rig for Red” because you never know when you may need to come to periscope depth. Rigging for Red is a tactical action that submarines perform in order to prevent later detection and keep the submarine safe from visibility by the enemy.

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” Proverbs 16:20 

As Christian men, we should always be aware of our surroundings and environments, plus understand when we could be in a situation which could provide danger for us. This is exactly when the enemy likes to launch his attack on us. Our guard may be down and we are not fully alert to the danger. It is time to “Rig for Red” but in this case, “Rig for Red Letters”. The words of Jesus in the Bible are sometimes written in red letters and are the guidance we should be using to live our lives. If we follow the commands of Jesus, the enemy cannot take any foothold in our lives. No matter what our circumstances or surroundings, following His guidance will keep us on our path. It is easy to become disorientated in the world today with information coming from a variety of sources. Most of this information should be ignored because it is the enemy. Understanding the word of God and applying it to our lives at all time is the only way to keep safe.

“If you love me, keep my commands”. John 14:15

Reading the word as often as we can gets us acclimated for troubles that are lurking in our world. There is no shortage of outlets that are trying to influence our decision making. Media messaging is trying to influence culture shifts which are 180 degrees out of sync with what is written in scripture. Television pushes limits on what they are showing and saying to try and get us to think these things are normal. Every day we are bombarded by counter-culture messages trying to redefine marriage, genders, sexuality, religion, and other important topics. In the submarine story above, the crew rigs for red early enough so they are acclimated to the light should danger arise. In our lives as men, we should “Rig for Red Letters” early on by reading and understanding the word of God to ensure we are ready and acclimated for the spiritual battles in this world. If we know the word, we are more likely to understand the attacks of the enemy. We are also more likely to know the truth of the gospel.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”” John 14:6-7

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 ESV

“Torpedo in the Water”. These are possibly the worst words you could ever hear on a submarine. The submarine is at its highest level of danger at this moment and is in immediate peril. In fact, it is such a threatening time that the word “torpedo” is not allowed to be spoken on a submarine because it means only one thing. If those words are called out, someone has launched a torpedo and it is coming toward the submarine. There is no time to think and an exact evasion plan must be carried out. The safety of the submarine and crew are 100% dependent on the next actions the people commanding the ship take. Any wrong action and it could mean the end. The crew of US submarines are constantly trained on how to react if a torpedo is launched, and generally no time is wasted in taking immediate actions to put the submarine and crew in a safe position. Only preparation and training will save the submarine and crew from this most dangerous time.

In our lives as men, we will be tested with temptations of the world. All of us men will have some slip-ups and sin, but we need to know that no one is perfect and we will all far short of God’s glory. An occasional small sin will be done by the best of us. However, for some men, the small slip-ups are not recognized or acknowledged and eventually a pattern of sin begins to take shape. If we are not careful, after a while these patterns will begin to define our character and soon, it is just our everyday lifestyle. We can fall deeper and deeper into dark places if we keep sustaining this lifestyle. At some point, we are spiraling out of control and eventually we are thinking ‘how did I get here’. This is where feelings of fear and of hopelessness emerge. You most likely have hurt people in your life and you feel desperation and possibly great embarrassment. We often hear this referred to as “rock bottom”. In our lives as men, this is when the torpedo is in the water. Just like the submarine crew, the actions that we take to correct our life at this moment are the most important thing we will ever do. The most important action, is to get God back into your life.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 ESV

The good news is that you cannot outrun grace. No matter how bad things have gotten, no matter who you have hurt, no matter how embarrassed you are, no matter where this dark season has taken you, no matter how much of a hold the Devil has on you, it is time to fall to your knees, lift up your hands, repent of your sins, and ask for forgiveness. Our God is so loving that he will forgive us. He sent His only son to be crucified so that we could all be forgiven of our sins. We just need to acknowledge God in all of His ways and this is the best start to getting your life back on track. This is the most crucial action you must take when that torpedo is in the water and coming at you to destroy you.

“So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” James 4:7-10 MSG

Men, we should all recognize when we are spiraling, but should we get to the point of rock bottom, recognize that there is a way out. It is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is time to be strong and that strength comes from Jesus. Ask for forgiveness, and then get back into the word to know and understand how we are to live as Christian men. Putting your life back together will not be easy and it will be full of consequences and heartache, but it is important to bring Christ back in so you can be healed.

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12-13 ESV

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

On a submarine, it is important that the ship be “stowed for sea”. What this means is that if the submarine had to make a drastic depth change or a large turn quickly, articles on the ship would not go flying around the submarine during the rapid maneuvers. The flying objects could be dangerous to the crew or to the submarine infrastructure if they were to make impact. Generally, the crew is responsible to stow all items before the ship goes to sea and to ensure the items will be locked down. In order to test the ship, right after the submarine submerges, a drill called “angles & dangles” is completed. The submarine takes various downward and upward angles to test the ships readiness, and see if the ship is truly stowed for sea. The crew quickly finds out the dangerous impacts of not stowing items correctly, as generally large noises are heard from flying objects and sometimes, damage occurs.

In our lives, we as men go through our own version of angles & dangles. They are called seasons. Sometimes they are in the downward direction, the low times, and sometimes they are in the upward direction, the high times. In either case, it is important that we are prepared for the seasons, in other words, we are “stowed for sea”. In both cases, we need to be prepared for whatever the season brings. It is easy during the good times to let our guard down and not put God first in our lives. During the low times we often have a tendency to give up and forget who is in charge. We need to remember to be consistent in our walk with God and understand the reason for the seasons of life we go through. God is building us into the person he wants us to be. Going through our seasons gives us knowledge, faith, strength, and a renewed reverence for Him. Going through high and low seasons prepares us for life. In some sense, we get “stowed for sea”.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

In the low times of our life, sometimes we get defensive and tend to ask “why”. When we ask our King why, we are questioning God. He knows the why! What we should be asking is “what”, in other words, what is God doing in our lives. What is God preparing me for? God uses seasons in our life to help us learn or to make us stronger in faith. He is shaping our character for what He has in store for us in the future. Low seasons tend to make us stronger in our faith as often we pray more or ask God for help in getting out of the situation we are in. But we should be praying and thanking God all of the time, not just in the low seasons. Our God is gracious, he loves us, and he is always working on our hearts. He will not forsake us and will provide for us in His time.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Often in the high seasons we think everything is rosy and we start to let our guard down. We forget to thank our King for our blessings, we forget to pray, and our lives are sometimes so good, Jesus becomes secondary to us. In fact, we start to believe we are creating our own good fortune and blessings. Jesus is not someone we want to ask, “What have you done for me lately”? We will be blessed by Jesus as long as we acknowledge that everything is from God. If we remain consistent in our faith, our King delights in us. He never changes, whether it is a high season or low season.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

When a submarine is maneuvering under the surface of the water, most of the time the ship is trying to remain as quiet as possible. Submarines do not like to make noise as this can be heard by other ships or detection devices and then the submarine reveals its position. No one is supposed to know any US submarine position in the water and so US submarines make considerable efforts to remain quiet and undetected. When a submarine changes speed, they do so in a very slow manner so that the propeller does not cavitate (make bubbles) and very little noise is made. On occasion, for one reason or another, the sub needs to move very quickly and must throw caution to the wind. The conning officer will yell out “Ahead Flank, Cavitate”. This signals the ships maneuvering crew to put the throttle of the engine to the max and do not worry about making noise. The ship is in some sort of danger and it must get out of its current position rapidly.

Often times as men, we can get into situations where we could put ourselves in danger. I am talking about being in the wrong place, hanging around the wrong people, looking at the wrong things, or even worse, actually doing the wrong things. Today’s world does not make it easy on us and the temptations of the world are constantly bombarding us. Media, internet ads, television, social gatherings, sports environments, and sometimes even the people we hang around can get us into bad environments or situations. This is often the time when our enemy works to penetrate and influence our life. We must remain diligent and understand when we could be in trouble.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NIV

If we find ourselves in situations where we know we should not be or we are hanging with the wrong crowd, the best thing we can do is run. Get out of the situation as fast as possible. This is the time to call it, “Ahead Flank, Cavitate”. Don’t worry about what it looks like to others, just get out of the situation. You know that most likely, nothing positive will come from being where you are. You are in danger of caving to temptations of the world and you know better. You must maneuver yourself quickly to put you back into safety. Get out and turn back to the life you know and want to live.

“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:11-12 NLT

Often in these slippery situations, we don’t want to hurt the feelings of others or we worry about what will be said about us. Our so called friends are telling us “it won’t hurt anything”, or something to that effect. These are the false prophets we read about in the Bible. They will tell you what they want you to hear but they have a different agenda. We must be able to recognize where we are being led down the wrong path and say no. Sometimes in the long run, we need to cut ties with these people and remove them from our lives. It is difficult, but they are being used as our enemy’s vehicle to get to you.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV

With so many distractions in this world, it is easy to get tripped up. Everyday life can lead us to situations or people that are not good for us as Christian men. We need to ensure we recognize when we could be in trouble, and the best defense is reading and understanding the words of Jesus. These words will activate our inner radar and we will recognize when we need to get out as fast as we can. The enemy is crafty and will never give up trying to corrupt us; be ready for the battle and ready to get to safe ground.

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV

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Sometimes on a submarine the ship gets a little off course, generally when the helmsmen is distracted. In most cases the Officer of the Deck, who is responsible for the conning of the ship, will shout the command, “Mind Your Helm”. In other words they are saying, pay attention, you are getting of course. The helmsmen realizes he is off course, steers the ship back on course, and everyone goes about their business. Usually when a helmsmen hears this command, he may only be 1 or 2 degrees off course which doesn’t sound like much. When you look at a small 1 degree off course mishap, it can turn into a big mishap over a longer period of time. If you travel across the United States and miss your course by just 1 degree, you will miss where you are going by 42 miles. Just a small error in direction over time results in a massive mistake.

In our lives as men, it is easy for us to get a little off course. It’s the little things that can cause a little differential in the path we should be walking. We stumble a little instead of a hard fall. Maybe it’s our thoughts, maybe it’s our words, maybe it’s our actions, but it comes from what’s in our hearts. There are too many temptations in the world which can get us off track. Our pride can also get us off track when we think we can handle things or we are in charge. Neglecting our daily reading of the word only exacerbates the situation because we are not arming ourselves with a defense. It might seem minor, just a little bit off our normal path, but as we saw above, if we do not correct it quickly, we can get far off course over time.

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Psalms 119:1-3 MSG

How do we stay on course? How do we “Mind Our Helm”? The most important thing is to put God first in everything you do. Putting Him first means you love God more than anything or anybody, that every thought you have, every action you take, or every word you speak is done with Him in mind. Secondly, we need to study the word of God so that we may arm ourselves with the armor God gives us to battle the warfare of the world. Knowing and understanding the word helps us be strong men in a world which can easily get us off course. We also need to pray. Praying gives us the opportunity to talk with God, to admit our sins and to repent, to ask for the things we want, and to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and keep us on the right path. God is gracious and he knows our heats. He loves us, we need to love Him.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV

God has a plan for all of us. When we take the time to understand the words of the Bible, our path is often revealed to us. When we realize what our gifts are that God has given to us, we can put them to use to glorify Him. Staying on our path requires us to mind our helm and stay on course. The Bible gives us the tools to remain on our path, we need to ensure we use the tools appropriately. Remember, if we don’t pay attention to the little distraction of life, we start to wonder off our course. Over time, we can get far from our intended path and get ourselves into deep trouble. Remain vigilant, pay attention to where you are heading.

“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” Proverbs 4:26-27 ESV

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 ESV

On a submarine, the crew can communicate with each other using sound-powered telephones. You can pick up a sound powered phone on the submarine, dial a selector switch where you want the phone to growl, and then crank a handle which makes the phone growl and the crew in that space will pick it up. The sound of your voice actually carries through the line and the person on the other side hears your message. There are ways to allow multiple people to be on the line at the same time. Often, especially in drills or other situations, the amount of chatter on the line can get noisy and chaotic and someone may really need to get a command heard. This person will yell “Silence on the Line” so that everyone will pipe down and the authorizing person can speak. The purpose of silencing the line is to let everyone know there is too much noise and it is imperative the crew focus on the next command.

In the world today, there is a lot of noise and it causes a lot of uncertainty. We live in a world where everyone wants to be heard, everyone has an opinion they think is the truth, and there are no gray areas. We are bombarded by all types of messages from the media, politicians, other world leaders, Hollywood, and other sources. Quite frankly, it is exhausting! Our heads are spinning from the information overload and we are confused. If you feel that there is too much world noise causing stress in your life, it is time to take a step back and call out, “Silence on the Line”. As Christian men, “Silence on the Line” means giving it all to God. Let God deal with the world, we need to focus on the important things like God, faith, and our families.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

The devil is crafty, his main trick is to cause us to be confused. The noise we hear in the world is our enemy at his best. He will never stop pedaling his tricks until we start believing the lies. The lies will keep coming no matter what our situation is in life. Our enemy is relentless and the noise he is making will keep us from hearing the truth, the truth which is written in our bibles. “Silence on the Line” allows us to focus on Jesus. It causes the noise and confusion of the devil to stop. We focus on Jesus and we get clarity in our lives and the confusion goes away. We see the truth. We get peace back into our lives and the noise ceases to exist.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV 

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal”. Isaiah 26:4

Navy ships can be a dangerous work environment especially if you are not aware of your surroundings and the effect ship movements can have on your balance. Usually, it is a good habit to ensure you walk in balance but just in case, it is good practice to tie yourself to or grab onto something to ensure you are anchored to the ship if sudden movements cause you to lose your balance. The term ‘One hand for yourself and one for the ship’ refers to the practice of ensuring you are always tethered to the ship should you be knocked off balance. Your safety can depend on this practice as many have been seriously hurt when they lose their balance on the ship.

In our Christian walk as men, it is also important that we maintain the proper balance in our lives. Of course that is true in the physical sense of balance, but in this case, I am speaking of our spiritual balance. This is the balance in life that keeps us tethered to God and allows us to stay upright on our righteous path. The world throws many things at us these days, many of which can easily knock us down, and many things that can flat out cause injury to us and others around us. For Christian men, we should practice ‘One hand for yourself and one for God’.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

God is our rock and should be our anchor in life. Every single aspect of our daily lives should include God as part of it. We need to rely on God always, not just in difficult or bad times, but all of the time. Yes, have fun in life, do the things you enjoy but always have one hand holding onto God. He will keep you on the righteous path we are meant to be on. When life gets turbulent and things happen that can throw your balance out of whack, God will provide the anchor point to keep you upright. This world is a dangerous place these days with many turning their back on God, and even worse, many trying to remove God from everyday life. One by one, the enemy seems to tell lies and then remove any connection to God people have. Once the anchor point to God is removed, it is easier to lose balance and fall, some harder and farther than others.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

The good news is that remaining connected with God is not difficult. Our thoughts, our words, and our actions are all controlled by our hearts so we need to fill our hearts with the word of God. There will be no room for other things in our hearts if we fill it with only His truth. On a daily basis we should read the Bible and understand the life that God wants us to live and the way in which we should behave as men. By doing this, eventually we develop a habit that puts God first in everything, a practice that will keep us anchored with God. We should also pray daily. Praying helps us to talk with God and allows us to develop a deeper relationship with Him. Prayer has power and continuously praying for ourselves and others will also eventually develop into a habit that will strengthen our hearts for God. Reading the word and praying will help us plant our anchor with God, and allow us to have the tools to be prepared for whatever comes at us in this life. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” 2 Corinthians 5:17

On a submarine, the ship can either dive to certain depths or it can come back up, by either flooding water or blowing air into ballast tanks. Once on a certain ordered depth, the submarine can stay at that depth by maintaining buoyancy, meaning just enough air and water in the ballast tanks to keep the submarine at a constant depth. When a submarine gets into an emergency situation where there is an eminent chance the submarine can sink and be lost, there is a procedure that can be utilized to force the submarine to the surface of the water. It is called an emergency main ballast tank blow, or ‘Emergency Blow’ for short. A set of switches is thrown which allows high pressure air from tanks to rapidly be forced into the ballast tanks. As the ballast tanks fill up with air displacing any water inside them, the submarine loses its neutral buoyancy and begins to rapidly rise to the surface of the water and eventually breaches the surface. This is a last-ditch effort to save the submarine and the switches used to initiate this action are appropriately called ‘chicken switches'.

In our lives as Christian men, we are going to mess up once in a while. None of us are flawless and our imperfections will be the fuel for our difficult periods that we have in our lives. If we are not careful, we may let several of our faults fuel many transgressions at once, and eventually we can spiral out of control. It may get so bad that we start thinking there is no hope for us. Fear, depression, anxiety, and despair start to creep in and it affects us and the people around us. Our situation may have gotten so bad that we think it can’t be fixed. We need to pull the ‘chicken switches’ and perform an ‘Emergency Blow’ on our life so we can have a fresh start.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

The good news is that there is absolutely hope for everyone. That hope is Jesus Christ. You may think that there is no way out of your situation, but you have a different set of switches that you only need to pull once. Giving your life to Jesus Christ will provide you with the peace, comfort, and joy you need to come back from the depths of your struggles. In fact, coming out of the water during baptism represents having a new life in Jesus. The old you is gone and there is a new you. Your struggles will not immediately go away and you will have to work to correct your wrongs, but now you have help. Once you give your life to Jesus, pray and read the bible so that you can see the error in the worldly ways in which you behaved. You will begin to change as a person and lead a more righteous life. Your faults will become fewer in number and your low seasons will be less frequent. Giving your life to Jesus Christ is where the new you begins.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:1-10