Rhemalogy

Familiarity is defined as the quality of being well known; recognizability based on long or close association. Example: “the reassuring familiarity of his parents’ home.”

From a humanistic perspective, it does make sense that familiarity leads to comfort. We have been conditioned to believe that something you’re familiar with is less likely to hurt you–at least in an unexpected way. But is that really true or just an illusion? The truth of the matter is we don’t invite the idea of risking the unfamiliar or unknown. In other words, we simply don’t like change. And some of us are so addicted to familiarity that we remain in toxic relationships, jobs going nowhere, negative life cycles on one level or another, and religion that delivers no one—bound on all fronts.

You ever notice that when you repot a plant into a bigger pot it grows bigger? But if you keep it in the same pot the roots bound and eventually it begins to die? Or if you put a fish in a bigger tank it grows bigger? Well, that’s what happens to us when we decide to step out of the familiar and take a walk on the water or the wild side as some might say.

I suppose the question then becomes is it better to be a big fish in a little pond? Or a little fish in a big pond where you have so many possibilities for expansion.

He made a conscious decision to walk away from the familiar…

Had Peter stayed in the boat with the others he never would have experienced firsthand another facet of God’s power which increased his level of faith. No matter how short his walk might have been at least he made the effort. (Matthew 14:22-33) He made a conscious decision to walk away from the familiar into the hands of a God who has an eternal resource of power that no human can harness or can become familiar with. The power and authority of God has the proclivity of taking humanity where it has never been. Such as, allowing Jacob to experience a stairway to heaven (Genesis 28:10-17), walking with Enoch who was then translated (Genesis 5:22-24), dividing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-31), allowing three boys to walk out of a fiery furnace (Daniel 3:8-25), or making the sun stand still for Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13). These things were done by the majestic power of God, not some special effects company.

You see, Peter’s choice was to be a little fish in a big pond or a fish in a bigger tank giving him room for his faith to grow in leaps and bounds. Can you imagine being overgrown living in a goldfish bowl when you should be in a 20-gallon tank?

That’s what familiarity does to you. It buries you under false security, easiness, procrastination, discouragement, and fear—keeping you inside something that is smaller than you are. The word teaches us greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (I John 4:1-4). But how can you walk with or in the greater if you don’t realize what the greater is while you’re bound in familiarity’s realm?

Don’t let familiarity put its headstone on you! Get out of your way! Get out of your mind and tell it to shut its mouth! Get Peter’s attitude and step out of the boat of familiarity—you just might like what you find!

May the Blessings of the LORD be with you today and always. Thank you for your continued readership and support. Have a phenomenal week….Blessings and Peace!

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