I Wish I Were a Turtle

I’ve always been somewhat of an introvert. Sometimes, though, I wish I could be a turtle so that I could pull my head and arms and legs inside my shell and not have to see or hear or deal with any people. Sometimes, I kind of do live like a turtle. I stay in my room instead of going out with friends. If I have no choice but to be around people, I put my ear buds in and bury myself in a book or an app on my phone so I can forget that there are people around me. I was put on a medication once that magnified this, and I would cover my head with a blanket, blast music in my ears, and try to sleep. Sleep was the only thing that helped at that time. Even though I was most likely ruining my hearing with songs that spoke of God and His character and promises to me, I couldn’t deal with being around people. Later, we found out that the medication I was on was causing my emotions to go haywire, and I was better able to deal with people after I went off that medicine.

However, I still wish I could be that turtle sometimes and hide away from the world. But I know I can’t. As Jesus Himself says, all of God’s commands can be boiled down to just two: Love God and love your neighbor (Don’t just take my word for it; read Matthew 22:34-40). How can I serve and minister to others if I’m hidden in my shell? Even in my disability, God has given me abilities that I can use to glorify Him and minister to others. I am a bad steward of those talents if I choose to close myself off in my room.

So, what do I do when I feel like crawling into my shell and hiding? First, I have to remember what God has commanded me to do. Multiple times in the Bible, God has told us to love and serve those around us. Matthew 20: 20-28 tells the story of the mother of two of Jesus’ disciples who asked Jesus if her two sons, James and John, could hold the two highest positions of honor when He came into His kingdom. The other ten disciples weren’t too thrilled with James and John, as I’m sure you can imagine, but Jesus’ response was for all twelve of them. In a nutshell, Jesus told His disciples that positions of power and fortune were what the Gentiles, those who did not follow Him, sought. He has a different goal in mind for those who do follow Him, and He states it in the second half of verse 26 through verse 28: “But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [the Greek word used here means servant]; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant [the Greek word used here means slave]: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In Philippians 2, Paul also encourages us to follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice for the benefit of others when he says, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory [selfish conceit]; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind[set] be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (v. 3-5). Clearly, I cannot hide in my shell. When I do so, I am not looking for ways to minister to others and to show them God’s love. I have to get my mind off of myself and my comfort and focus on God and what He has asked of me.

Second, I have to remember that God has promised to give me the strength to do what He has commanded. Sometimes, facing the discomfort of being around people and dealing with their questions makes me feel like Joshua facing all of the many Canaanite armies. But God gave him a very special promise: “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). After reminding Joshua that he needed to obey, God reminded him of His character. Joshua (and I) could be strong and have courage to face the hard times coming because God is the self-existent one—represented by God’s name Jehovah (Lord)—and the all-powerful judge and Creator—represented by God’s name Elohim (God)—and He will never leave His children, no matter where they go or what they face.

I can have the courage to be strong and to come out of my shell because my God is all-powerful and is with me through everything. It is through my believing God’s promises that He gives me the strength I need to obey. In light of those promises, I can face anything. No, it’s not easy, but it is possible. After all, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

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