Going nowhere? Rowing in circles in the lake?

Imagine you’re in a boat and are rowing. 🛶 On one side. Using all your strength to row on that one side. What would the result be?

Rowing in circles.

Now this is an oversimplification of the sail-row-drift-sink metaphor, but it’s worth thinking about.

Let’s say that, as I believe, the foundational disciplines of one’s personal discipleship / spiritual development are Bible reading and prayer, those disciplines, in the metaphor, are the oars.

Let’s also say that you find one of those two easier or more natural for you. And on that one you out your focus, to the neglect of the other.

In other words, you’re just 🚣 rowing on one side of the boat. 

And you don’t seem to be making progress. 

See, I talk to people all the time who can’t seem to make any progress and when asked about their disciplines they’re all the same. Undisciplined in the word and/or in prayer. 

There are two oars in the boat.