Lessons from a Toy Boat: 5 Fundamental Character Values

Lessons from a Toy Boat: 5 Fundamental Character Values

As a young boy, some friends and I decided we could build our own toy boat out of some scrap lumber in Dad’s shed. Using a 2x4 for our base, I decided we would build an aircraft carrier.  

Taking small pieces of wood, we built a three story high tower on the right side of our 2x4 deck. Using toothpicks for antennas on the top of the tower and some left over navy gray paint, our aircraft carrier looked fairly good. When we added two small planes, we thought we were the greatest ship builders to come along since Noah.

Packing up our still paint-sticky ship, the three of us climbed on our bikes and headed to the nearby pond to float our boat. There we discovered a major engineering flaw in our ship building. You could not put all that weight on one side of a 2x4 and expect it to float upright!  

This adventure taught a number of important lessons.  This one has served me well.  Although a life may appear to be sound and good, that does not mean it is.  Life like a boat is required to follow fundamental character values to float upright in the sea of life. If there is a single flaw in one of the core values or a core value is missing, life will not float upright.

As a young boy that summer day, I learned that even a toy boat must follow core values to float upright.  Much later in life, I found that fundamental character values must be followed for my life to float upright.

Although my life has not always floated upright and has on occasion been upside-down, the following five life principles have helped me more than once to get my life floating upright.

1) You have been put together by the Great Design Engineer. 

Don’t mess up the design and don’t let someone else mess up the design. Allow God and his biblical principles to guild your life. Quit trying to fix your life and allow the Creator to work through you and in you. Stop looking for a miracle formula or a magic pill or a knight in shining armor to instantly cure all of life’s storms. Like in the sport of Rowing where the Coxswain (Cox) does the steering while facing forward and the rowers face him, let Lord do the steering.  Let God handle to the helm and just row!

2) You are created for a purpose!

Everything in the universe clicks together and you play a part. You are not worthless or disposable. You are important; and although you might not see the great scheme of things, you play an important part. A missing single bolt in ship can sink it.  

3) Get the Heart Right!

The way you look or the way you perceive how you look doesn’t matter. What matters is if you float upright.  Get things right in the heart and you will stand tall in the sea of life. The compass of life is deep within the heart.  When the heart is right, you will know true north and never be lost at sea. 

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

4) You are loved! Learn to love others!

It is paramount that you understand that you are loved by God. He chose to love you!  Because he directed his love toward you, you can learn to love him and others.  Most importantly you can learn to you yourself.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:8-10, 19) 

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.   And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew  22:37-39)  

5) Seek the truth and be truthful

Seek the truth! If you do so, you will find Jesus because Jesus is the truth!  Be honest and faithful in all of your affairs and you will be an outstanding person.  You will always float upright no matter how stormy the sea of life might become.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” -Jesus (John 14:6)

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