When I was in Air Force Basic Training, we spent about a week at a mock deployment location. Up until that point Basic had focused on learning rank, Air Force customs and courtesies, how to conduct yourselves as Airmen, how to wear the uniform, etc. The goal of this “Warrior Week” was to introduce trainees to some of the things they would be likely to encounter in a deployed environment. This is where trainees first use a gas mask, where they eat their first MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat), where they first fire an M-16, and the week generally serves as an introduction to a variety of other things that they might need to understand when deployed.
This week is also when trainees go through the Confidence Course. The Air Force cannot control the background, knowledge, or skills of its enlistees, but it can provide the same training and experiences to everyone that joins its ranks. The Confidence Course is intended to present trainees with obstacles that they have to somehow overcome. In the process it builds in each trainee a sense of confidence in having been able to accomplish each task, so each person feels able to take on more difficult tasks, which is good because the most difficult challenges are toward the end of the course. None of the individual obstacles are particularly difficult, but the odds are that every trainee is likely going to have to face something they’ve never done before.
One of the more memorable obstacles for me was one where you had to swing on a rope to get across a pool of water. This is no big deal and it’s actually kind of a fun thing to do, except for the fact that the rope is too short for you to grab while standing on the edge. The person that went before you stands on the far edge of the pool and swings the rope to you, but since it’s not going to make it all the way to you, there comes a point at which you have to jump to meet the rope. Also, if you don’t jump, the rope will swing back and forth, with a little less momentum each time. Your best opportunity is the first one.
As you grow and mature in your relationship with Jesus, you find that this obstacle may be an example for you. It’s a wonderful and beautiful thing when someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, and that relationship needs to deepen and grow. There comes a point, however, where believers must use their talents, abilities, and resources for the glory of God’s kingdom, and to help others learn about how He offers them an eternal gift. Sometimes the tasks set before believers will seem impossible to accomplish on their own, but they need to remember that they are NOT doing it on their own.
It is possible for believers to kill their own opportunities by waiting. There’s often something that’s in short supply, usually money or time. “I’ll start my new ministry when the money’s in place.” “This is a very busy time in my life, I can’t start something new right now.” What a lot of people don’t realize is that God may be deliberately withholding the resources you need until you demonstrate to Him your commitment. Sure, He knows your heart, but knowing your heart is a lot different from witnessing your resolve. Like the rope swing, you need to trust that if God has challenged you to do something, the things you need are going to be there at the time you need them, but you’re not going to reach them if your feet don’t leave the ground.
Sometimes you have to jump before you can get a grip on the rope.