Life by Disclaimer: I deny I wrote this

I was watching a movie with my kids the other day when I noticed that little disclaimer that is at the start of almost all of the DVD/Blue Ray discs in our family collection:  

“The interviews on this DVD are intended for entrainment purposes only. The thoughts, words, ideas, dinner recipes, personal journals and poor hair stylings of those being interviewed do not in anyway represent the company who is sending this out. Even though we’re making boatloads of money off what they say and do, we in no way endorse anything they’ve said, but we have included it on this particular disk because you do not want to miss it. Though if you see it like we hope you will, don’t blame us for putting it there.”

Ok, I might have added a few words there, but I think you get the point. I'm thinking of adding a similar disclaimer to our Overboard site:

The producers of the DVD who include extra movie content, want to make sure that if anyone is offended by anything stated in the extras of that particular disk, that it’s not actually endorsed by the very people who put the movie together and made sure it was distributed. So even though they saw the content, heard the content, liked it enough to put it on the disk and package it for consumers, they are in no way responsible for its impact on the audience.

That my friends, is life with a disclaimer.

Unfortunately, it’s not just move companies living life by disclaimer. I’ve seen college kids apologize for crazy behavior by saying, “Sorry for making a fool of myself, but I was drunk…” I’ve heard teenagers say, “I can’t control myself once I start drinking energy drinks…” I even remember hearing a dad say at a baseball game, “I’m not responsible for what I say or do when my son is playing ball. I just get so involved I sometimes do things I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself…”

Really?

Living life with a disclaimer is another way of avoiding personal responsibility. It’s a way of saying, “If I do something wrong, it’s not my fault.” But you can’t live the Overboard Life when you always have a disclaimer in your back pocket. When Peter stepped out of the boat in Matthew 14, he was living a miracle while he walked on water. But when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he started sink and needed rescuing. You’ll notice what he didn’t do: he didn’t reach into his disclaimer bucket and pull one out. Imagine if he did:

“Sorry Jesus, you know how impulsive I am and so I jumped onto the water without thinking…it’s not my fault.”

“So I totally knew it was you, and these other guys were screaming like girls and you know much I hate that piercing voice of John…I had to jump out and get away from that little whiner!”

“If you had just calmed the water before I had gotten out of the boat, I wouldn’t have had to worry for my life!”

Really?

One question for you today: What disclaimers are keeping you from living the life of faith?

Leave your disclaimers in the boat and take the plunge -- life is always better on the water!