All Hands Off Deck: Learning To Trust In God(A Pauline Perspective)

All hands on deck is undoubtedly one of the most widely used quotations in our dialect especially when we intend to mean that in any given situation particularly when it’s distressing, we require every effort to make things work properly.

The phrase "all hands on deck" itself happens to be an idiomatic expression originating from a nautical terminology that means everyone is needed to help out or contribute, especially in a challenging or urgent situation. It was used to call all crew members to assist on a ship, particularly during times of crisis or when additional manpower was required. The call went out typically for all the sailors on the ship to come to the deck of the boat to help navigate the storm.

In short, the phraseology practically attempts to draw somewhat our attention to the fact that in certain difficult, grueling and stressed-out situations, there might just be something that we ourselves can do or bring to the table that may help to bring the said situation or problem under full control without soliciting for any help outside our own selves or whatsoever.

Apostle Paul’s own confession in the 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 text to the church in the city of Corinth teaches us a great and timely lesson which is that, there are situations and moments you go through sometimes that causes you to realize and discover how insufficient and inefficient your own intrinsic human abilities, efforts & disciplines are so much so that, it’s in those stony episodes of chaos and confusion that you learn to fully trust and depend on God without relying on your own strength and abilities. It’s what I call the "all hands off deck" moment where you become so undeniably convinced of the frailty of your own resources, it becomes crystal clear to you that no other option will suffice other than to retreat into the bosom of the God who has all power and might.

The Apostle Paul whom we attribute a huge chunk of the new testament's epistemological writings rather shockingly had his own all hands off deck moment. In a generation where many are forced to deify servants of God as ones who are not touched or overwhelmed by earthly predicaments and situations, the life of Paul throughout his evangelistic and missionary work paints for us a totally opposite picture worth examining. Many bible commentators believe that the troubles Paul speaks of in the province of Asia specifically talks about the period of his Ephesian ministry ( Act 19: 1-20:1) where he suffered many traumatic experiences including personal dangers and possible imprisonments. Though the specific events are still being debated, some have alluded to few events that could point to Paul’s experiences one of them being his encounter with Demetrius the silversmith in Acts 19:23-41. Another being his numerous imprisonments and floggings in the Jewish court( 1 Corinthians 11:23). Last but not least, others allude to an illness or affliction that he may have suffered from ( 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Whatever the events which lead to Paul having to remind the Corinthian church, it’s intriguing to note that Paul talks about being pressed out of measure, the Greek word "Bareo" which means to be burdened or in a more contemporary sense depressed. He further states how the limit of his own strength and effort had been greatly exceeded to the extent that life itself did not seem palatable anymore. Yes, that’s our revered Apostle speaking and not some new recent convert.

It’s possible for anybody in any capacity to be overwhelmed in this life. It is very possible to feel like one is being overly stretched beyond what their own strength can contain or cater for. In these moments the believer is presented with two significant options.

Option one is to continue to rely on one's own strength and ability only to come to the end of themselves realizing the accuracy and veracity of what 1 Samuel 2:9(b) says which is that by strength shall no man prevail. Many individuals who have unfortunately resorted to taking their own lives undoubtedly chose this path. The second more viable option is what Paul speaks of. Our predicaments must cause us to see how limited we are and how limitless God is. Our hardships must push us into acknowledging the sovereignty and the might of God as one that can be trusted and relied upon. Like Paul, we must be willing to take our hands off the deck and allow God to take absolute control and leadership of the very things we can do absolutely nothing about.

Being overwhelmed and over stretched is not a sign of a failing Christian. It’s the point where your full trust in God is tested. Many assume that Paul was a colossus in his day because he was a fearless and rugged revelational preacher. Though he was, I think what made Paul the generational leader he was was his ability to embrace his own shortcomings, struggles and despairs while trusting fully on the God who called him. His trust was not based on the outcome of a situation but most importantly on the sovereignty and goodness of an unchanging God who continuously rules in the affairs of men. This my beloved is the way of trust.