Why a fishbowl?

Why an Aquarium?

One day I caught myself staring through the glass of my fishbowl. I was wondering just what those folks not in church thought of us, and how boxed up we seem to have everything. We say we are free in Christ. But it sure did not feel that way to me. I felt like I may have been a captive who was set free, only to get caught again. And so, an aquarium came to mind. Trapped behind glass is all some of us have ever known. That was quite a few years ago. I wanted more than the personal or religious aquarium. I just didn’t know what that might look like.

If I hadn’t started breaking glass, I would have continued to adjust to the pain of comfortable-ness…assuming there is no way out.

We assume there is no water on the other side of the glass, that we would die out there. But, in the reality of who Jesus is, there is water—living water. Behind the glass as well as beyond the glass, there is hope in Him. But have we settled for less than Him? I think the answer is yes. And I think the three questions can change that for you, as well as for your church. 

Are you willing to ask three questions daily? (Go ahead and look at the beginning of chapter five for the three questions) Are you willing to follow Him, and the rest of the Trinity, regardless of your circumstances? Scary question, but better than the pain of comfortable-ness. Again, Matthew 4:19 doesn’t say, “Follow me and I will make you keepers of the aquarium.” Or keepers of the comfort zone. But it might as well. So much of the Western church is stuck behind the glass of our fish prison. Our aquarium is safe and secure from all alarm. I think we have quit leaning on Jesus. We seem to lean on our own finesse and ability to keep it safe behind the glass. 

Change starts with having a deepening relationship with all three parts of the Trinity. As C.S Lewis says about Aslan, ‘He is not safe, but He is good.’^[i] All three Persons are good, but at times not safe. They all three have a coordinated desire to see you become who They see you to be. They all three have the same desire to see your heart turn to Them. They all three want to see you follow Their lead as you move and breathe daily in the part of the Kingdom you occupy. Daily. Moment by moment. But we do live on a fallen planet.

I have been part of the problem and did not know it. Sometimes I am still part of the problem. I have thought way too much in my life about how the aquarium is doing, and not about how the Kingdom is doing. Instead of asking, “Are the fish healthy and reproducing?” I would simply count how many were there. During those times, was I actually making disciples of my Lord Jesus Christ? I think I was, but only for a very little of my time. I have lived much of my life behind the glass trying to figure out how to get beyond the glass.

Again, there is hope. There are church families which are getting it done. They are making disciples who make disciples—just like Jesus asked us to do.^[1]

The three relational questions are like an adrenaline shot designed to get your heart going again no matter where you are. No matter what glass you are behind. They give energy to what is already there. Not the questions, but the Ones whom you ask the questions of. These questions are not intended to replace a bible study, a worship time, or a particular ministry. They are to give a bible study energy and a relationally intentional focus that drives you beyond the study. The three questions, along with the six habits, can be used to focus any ministry of the church back to the basic tenets of disciple-making. On p. 22 in FishPrison

NOTE; Here are the three relational questions -

One - Father, how do you want me to know You and love You better?

Two - Jesus, what needs to change so I look more like You?

Three - Spirit, who are You leading me to invest in?

^[1] You can find a great amount of help at Discipleship.org.

^[i] Lewis, C. S, ‘The Lion the witch and the wardrobe’. (Chronicles of Narnia)