Against the Flow

Against the Flow
by Brodie Swisher

One of the many things I like about cruisin’ across the water in a kayak is the mobility of such a vessel. Whether on a lake or river, the kayak is a slick little means of travel. You can go in and out of places in a kayak that are simply not possible with any other boat. With a kayak, you can turn around and switch directions on a dime, shoot in and out of tight spots, or simply just go with the flow and let the river take you downstream.
But what about when you decide to go against the flow? I’ll never forget one particular scouting run I made down the Bitterroot River in western Montana. I was checking access for potential deer hunting stands. Rather than pulling out of the river and hiking back to the truck with the kayak over my shoulder, I opted to paddle back up-river…going against the flow. I will admit I got the greatest upper body workout of my life on that day!

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Going against the flow is not easy. It never has been…and never will be. It takes a goal in mind and commitment in heart to go against the flow of life. Much of the world’s population is traveling in one wreckless direction. It’s the easy path. It’s the one that looks attractive, feels good, and allows us to simply sit back and go with the flow. But God never called us to such a life. In fact, our directions are to take a different path altogether. He’s called us to go against the flow. We are told not to be swept away by the desire to conform to the corrupt lifestyle of today’s society. As hard as it may seem, we are to walk a different trail. We must go against the flow!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

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