A harbor or haven by definition is supposed to be a safe place for ships to gather. But in 1699, Richard Bentley in his work A Dissertation Upon the Epistles of Phalaris said” She must not make to the next safe Harbour; but…bear away for the remotest.”

And so a phrase was coined. A phrase that today even has legal features meaning a protection from liability or penalty.

It might seem redundant to say safe haven (because it literally means a safe safe place!), but the phrase sticks and even has some truth today. Why? Because not all havens are safe!

Enough about history though…the real question is – where is your safe haven.

Life today is fraught with danger – danger in places where there shouldn’t be.

• Home – supposedly a safe place but the amount of abuse and hardship found there is far too common
• Work – a place of significance and satisfaction but dangerous for many
• Church – a place of hope but one where hope is far too easily stolen

The list could go on…but I think we need to reclaim these places. Homes should be places of love and care and we should be people who fill our own homes with love and help others do the same. Work should be a place of satisfaction and accomplishment, so we should work to make this possible for everyone. Church should be a place of hope, so we should preach and live out that hope for others to experience.

So where to start…well…where you are! Commit to building places of love, satisfaction and hope. Then we will see safe havens in every area of our lives.

For Small Group Leaders

Since I lead a ministry of small group leaders at my church – we call them Faith Groups, I find that this concept is one we teach and train on often – making groups a safe place.

Your small group, if you are in one, should be a safe haven in life. It is the place where all three of the areas listed above intersect: home, work and church. It should be a safe haven for everyone who comes. I know they fail at this sometimes – people are broken. But still, we need to strive for making them safe. So, small group leaders – how can you make your small groups safe havens?

People are counting on us getting it right.  How do you do it?

Let me know in the comments!