Ships are amazing, they sail the oceans facilitating trade, they connect us and they carry us on adventures to new places, but did you ever stop to consider that ships are made in Harbours? Not only are they made in harbours but ships can’t function without a good harbour. They need a place to return to, a safe and good place to call home. They need a refuge in the storm and a place of restoration and motivation for after the storm. 

Although ships are crafted in harbours, they cannot remain in the harbour as they will never fulfil their destiny.

Harbours themselves are not ships although most were originally created by ships that were given an assignment to explore new opportunities and open up new possibilities. Harbours are amazing places.

A good harbour always forms a nucleus and creates a gravity that breathes and builds communities town and cities. Every major world city on the planet started in this way.

Years ago I felt God speak to me about Harbours and Ships. It was an analogy for Christian Surfers, our mission and the local Church. It was freeing, empowering and challenging all at the same time.

God has blessed me with a beautiful life harbour. It has helped me navigate, build and develop as a ship. It has empowered, rebuked and admonished me. It is a safe place that has helped me to form my family and a place I love and still love to serve in. I have been blessed and shaped by other harbours too, and I have been welcomed, cared for, empowered and restored by many of His Harbours around the world. Without God’s harbours, it is impossible to be an effective vessel on mission. Without God’s harbours I have no doubt I would have wrecked.

An empowering harbour and a clarity of call and assignment, creates a sense of confidence in ships. Harbours and ships may have different functions and therefore different forms, but they serve the same end and exist to build one Kingdom.

I always pray for strong, courageous and empowering harbours and equally I pray for bold, teachable and humble ships - for this is how we achieve His vision. ‘So that every surfer and every surfing community would have opportunity to know and follow Jesus.’

Sadly not every harbour is good for every ship and equally as sad not all ships are willing to submit to their anchorage. I have never seen any great Kingdom succeed where this relationship is not in a good and healthy space.

So whether our role is to serve in the harbour or sail for His Kingdom cause, may we never forget that we are always all under the command of our Great Harbour Master, Captain, God and King. Let us do what we are called to do with courage and humility and with all of your heart so that we may advance His kingdom.

Right now I would see myself as a ship. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as a ship in His service and I love all that goes with it, but I do wonder if at some point, when my current assignment is finished, if our Harbour Master and King will see fit to change my assignment and allow me the privilege to work in one of His awesome Harbours to see ships formed and created to set sail or repaired and restored for His kingdom Cause.

Roy Harley
Christian Surfers International Director