Motorboat or sailing boat?

I was leading a session at a church weekend away which was entitled "Transformation not Conformation", based on the Bible verse Romans 12:2. It was about the importance as Christians not to be conformed by the world's way of thinking and doing but instead allow ourselves to be transformed in our minds by God. The world's pressures and standards try to squeeze us into their mould.

On the other hand, we need to be open to God's Holy Spirit to work in our lives. This is sovereignly the work of God, but we need to be willing to allow him to do it in us.

The reason for telling you all this is that I had an illustration (pinched, of course from someone else - all the best illustrations are!) which I shared. I said it is like a sailing boat rather than a motorboat. If you take out a motorboat, you switch the engine on and you are in complete control of where you are going. But being transformed by the Holy Spirit is like a sailing boat - you hoist the sail, but you must wait for God to provide the wind!

Someone from the church added a bit more to the illustration. He said when you go out to sea in a sailing boat, you are often battling against the tide. That's the world trying to conform you. But you must ride the tide in order to go where God wants you. And sometimes it can be a bumpy ride!