I have watched events in
our world unfold over the last couple of weeks and have found myself fighting
to keep from getting overwhelmed … and fighting not to get caught up in the fray. When I do think about it, the thing that
bothers me most is the world that my children will inherit. I believe it was Solomon who said that there
is nothing new under the sun … this world is filled with evil and it isn’t
likely to get any better. You can take
down flags and call sin a fundamental right, but that won’t change the
truth. The problem isn’t going to be
fixed by a bullying news media or by government legislation … but that is a
soapbox for another day.
As downright terrifying as the
thought of what kind of world my kids will be forced to deal with can be, it
isn’t the only thing that threatens to send my thoughts and my mood into a
downward spiral. Life in general can get
pretty discouraging. I have spent the
better part of this week giving in to despair – partly due to things outside of
my control and partly due to mistakes I have made - I could spend the next ten
minutes (at least) outlining all the negative things in which I have allowed
myself to get caught up. However, that wouldn’t do me, or anyone reading this,
any good.
The fact is that no matter
what is going on in life, the thing that matters most is where we find our focus. When my focus is on myself, I find myself
bogged down in self-pity and despair.
Fortunately for me, I have a Father who loves me enough to remind me
that this is not who I am. All week the
story of Jesus and Peter walking on the Sea of Galilee keeps coming to my
mind. I know the story well; it is one
of my favorites … and, not just as a holdover from my childhood. I have loved this story as an adult who knows
what it means to find myself drowning in my circumstances.
The background of the story
is that Jesus has just fed well over 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2
fish. The disciples not only witnessed
the miracle, they participated in the distribution of the food. They saw thousands of hungry people fed with
what should have satisfied only a small boy.
These men saw needs met in a way that could only be accomplished by
Almighty God. I’ve often wondered if the
people in the crowd understood the miracle that occurred that day.
After the crowds dispersed,
Jesus sent His disciples ahead on the Sea of Galilee as He went to pray. (This
is, of course, an entire lesson unto itself, but it isn’t where I’m heading today.) As the story goes, the disciples were on the
sea, being “tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.” Out of the night, in the midst of the wind
and waves, “Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.” I have tried to imagine what it must have been
like to see this dark figure coming out of a dark night, when the waves were
high and the wind was blowing; the disciples were understandably terrified … I
would probably have fainted.
Immediately, Jesus spoke words of comfort to his disciples – His closest
friends, the people who knew Him best – but they must not have been sure it was
Him because Peter said: “Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come unto thee on the
water.”
How many times have I done
just that? Times when I am beginning to
feel overwhelmed and before I even ask, Jesus comes to me with words of comfort
– a familiar scripture that “pops” into my head or the words of a hymn that I
begin to sing without even knowing why – and yet I question, “Lord, is this
you?”
While my questions are
usually filled with questions, Peter’s question was filled with faith (or maybe
it was impulsiveness). He wasn’t sure if
it was Jesus, but he desperately wanted to know, and he was willing to step out
of the boat to find out. This is one of
the things I love about Peter … he didn’t play it safe. He didn’t discuss it with a committee, he
didn’t sit back to wait and see, no, he just said “Lord, give me the word and
I’ll jump out of the boat!” And that is
just what he did.
But, straightway, Jesus spake unto
them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid. And Peter answered him
and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship,
he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to
sink, he cried, saying, Lord, same me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said
unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they
that were in the ship, came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the
Son of God. Matthew 14:27-33
For those of us who have
spent a lifetime in Sunday School, we may be tempted to see this story in the
warm light of crafts and coloring pages.
In reality, there is so much truth that we need to embrace packed into
these few verses. The one word that
keeps coming to my mind is FOCUS. Peter
had enough faith to step out of the boat – which is huge. I want that kind of faith. I don’t want to play it safe in my walk with
Jesus. But, even in his faith, Peter
faltered when he was surrounded by the waves and the wind and suddenly he
forgot where he was going. His focus
shifted to the storm around him rather than the peace he could find in the face
of Jesus.
The reason that I spent
several days wallowing in doubt and fear earlier this week is because I took my
eyes off of the Savior and focused on the situation. This is never a good idea, no matter what is
going on. There is no doubt that we are living in grave times as a nation. However, as Christians, we have been
commanded not to fear and promised that fear does not come from God (2 Timothy
1:7). Jesus never promised us an easy
life, as a matter of fact, He promised us just the opposite. We shouldn’t be surprised when we face real
hardship or when the world doesn’t like us.
All of the terrible things going on in the world can’t change who we are
in Christ.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
it be afraid.” John 14:27
Jesus didn’t call us to get
caught up in the things of the world; He called us to be set apart and to point
the world to Him. We can’t do that if we
are focusing on the storm around us.
This leads me to two final passages of scripture. The first was one of my Mama’s favorites and
the second is one of mine.
For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. Romans 8:18
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is
written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
I am so thankful that I
serve a Savior who will not give up on me, even when I take my eyes off of Him
and get caught up in the fray. I am
also thankful for a friend who will remind me of one very important point. “He didn’t let Peter drown,
did He?”
