Living in the D.E.E.P.! By Paul Wilson, Jr.

I attended college in San Diego, CA, and I loved it out there. One of the main reasons was easy access to the beach and the ocean. I can remember plenty of times going there just to relax (especially at night), listening to the waves roll in and out. That was my place of peace and inspiration.

As much as I liked being near the ocean, I never fully enjoyed it as much as I could have. Now, I wasn’t fearful of getting in the water, because I’ve been able to swim since I was a child. However, to me swimming in the ocean was more “dangerous” than swimming in a pool, because of the difference in depth and the lack of boundaries.

So whenever I would get in, I always got a little nervous the further I would get away from the shore. One reason is because it would get harder to keep my feet on the ground as I moved out into the water. Of course eventually my feet wouldn’t touch the bottom at all and I would have to start swimming.

During this transition from the shore to deeper water, there was always that moment when I thought my feet were about to touch the ground, but the water would come over my head. In that split second I had to realize it was time to swim. It was a little unnerving until I got my bearings. Although I knew that moment was coming, it always seemed to take me by surprise.

Recalling my times in the ocean causes me to think about how many people live. Real enjoyment is found in the deep waters of life, but they don’t like the uncomfortable feeling of not being able to touch or see something that they think should be stable. They don’t like uncertainty, so they choose perceived safety.

In choosing to live in the shallow waters of life (faith, relationships, career, etc.), they take very few risks. They don’t stretch their faith. They underestimate the gifts and abilities that God has given them. They talk a good game, but don’t accomplish anything significant.

Sadly, they spend most of their lives stuck in cycles of dissatisfaction, disconnection, and disillusionment about who they are, what they should be doing, and how they could be living.

It’s time to break those cycles! If you desire to live an abundantly fulfilled life, you have to learn how to go into the deep waters of life.

“When he [Jesus] finished teaching, he said to Simon, ‘Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch… It was no sooner said than done - a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity.’” – Luke 5:4,6 (Message)

Let’s take a look at this passage to see what we can learn about how to benefit from living in D.E.E.P. waters (to get the full flavor of this passage read Luke 5:1-11):

Daily pursue God’s will…
o “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
o Pray continually to keep your relationship fresh with God.
o Read the Word constantly to understand His promises.
o Obey what you read in the Word.

Engage life decisively and victoriously…
o “… you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (CEV)
o Exercise faith by trusting what God has spoken to your heart.
o Don’t allow fear to keep you stuck where you are.
o Apply effort that goes beyond the norm. Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

Explore new opportunities…
o “God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (Message)
o Reject complacency. Don’t be satisfied with past successes.
o Be flexible and open to new ideas.
o Be courageous. Take a risk and try something different.

Plan according to your purpose and passions…
o “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him; but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NIV)
o Assess what you’re currently doing to determine if it’s the best way (you might need to keep doing the same thing, but in a different way).
o Set goals, priorities and deadlines.
o Start today. Do something!


Abundance and fulfillment are found in the deep waters of life. What are you waiting for? Jump in!

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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