Having just come back from a trip to Williamsburg, VA not too long ago, it was the name that caught my attention. It was a story on the news about the U.S.S. Williamsburg, the former yacht used by Harry S. Truman. It was literally a floating White House at times. Truman used the Williamsburg for business and vacations. In fact, the Williamsburg was the grandest of yachts ever used by a president. But what I heard next about the ship was disappointing.
This once grand ship is rusting away in an Italian shipyard, having fallen into disrepair and neglect. When Dwight Eisenhower became President in 1953, he wasn’t interested in using the Williamsburg, and ordered her to be decommissioned. The yacht went through a series of damages and owners with varied purposes, but eventually investors purchased her and moved her to Italy with the intent to restore the Williamsburg to her former glory. Those plans have failed and the yacht has continued to rust and decay at dock.
You might ask, “how does this kind of thing happen?” Actually, decay and rust are the natural order of things for this world. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).
When you think of damage to your soul, do you think of immediate destruction or neglect over time? Most of us focus on trying to avoid the “big” sins. But often, ignoring everyday maintenance can cause worse destruction. Over time, we might find ourselves mere shells of our former glory, rotting inside, rusted, and “unseaworthy.” The good news is that through the blood of Christ, we can be restored to glory in God’s eyes. Won’t you come to Him today? Become a child of God or be restored today and be fit for service once more in His Kingdom!
