Learning What Not To Do

According to the narrative, on Jesus' instructions, the disciples had taken a boat and were to meet Him on the other side of the lake. Sometime during the night, a storm rose up and the disciples were afraid. It continues, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a spirit;' and they cried out for fear. 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 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, save me'" (Matthew 14:25-30, KJV).

For years I thought Peter had failed and some may share that same thought. However, did he really fail?  As a fisherman, he was probably used to storms on the lake but for sure he had never tried walking on water! Stepping out of that boat into the dark embrace of howling winds and raging waters, simply because he heard the voice of his friend and Lord say "Come," was quite the step of faith. When faced with the reality of what was happening around him, who could blame him for taking his eyes off his destination, the place from where he heard the voice? In some respects, isn't Peter really us?  We hear and have the Word of God and even after stepping out in faith, we are still overwhelmed by our different circumstances. Like Peter, some of us have not only started to sink but we have sunk! Yes, we heard the voice of Jesus say “Come,” but. . . but. . . but. . . .We have our buts.

Interestingly, Jesus did not rebuke Peter for looking everywhere else except upon Him; He rebuked him for his lack of faith (v.31). No matter how the storm was raging, he should have kept his faith instead of being afraid. The presence of fear signals uncertainty; a weakness in faith.  Despite our best intentions, our fear often gets the better of us. In one respect, Peter failed. However, in another aspect, he had learned what not to do. Faith in God allows us to look at our challenges without being afraid. When overwhelmed we turn to the rock that is higher than ourselves (Psalm 61:2).

The application for us?  Whenever you have a "Peter moment," whether in your relationship with the Lord or with others, use failure as a stepping stone for success. How so? At least, now you know what not to do. Learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do, and sometimes we do so through failing. Ralph Marston writes, "Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is an important component of success." Just ask Peter.

"Don't Worry"

Isn’t it ironic how as professing Christians we trust God with our eternal security but some of us have difficulty trusting Him with the details of everyday life? On the basis of John 3:16 they fully expect to spend eternity with Him, yet seem unable to take hold of Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything” (CEV). Is it that God who created the universe, and everything in it, cannot handle the details of the here and now?

God cares about us, and the things that impact our lives, far more than we realize. Like a good and loving parent, His heart breaks as He watches His children wrestle with things that provoke doubt, fear, and rob us of peace of mind and heart as He waits for us to bring those concerns to Him. He did not intend for us to worry about how we are going to make it from one day to the next but rather that we should cast those cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Not some of it, but “all”; everything, nothing – not even what seem to be the most trivial – left out. For some of us, that is an extremely difficult thing to do because worry is like a worn out pair of shoes; we need to throw it out but it is most comfortable. Yet there is no ambiguity to Father’s instructions – He says “Don’t do it!” for “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:30, KJV).

If God takes care of the fowls of the air, He will take care of those who are His. This is the same God who so loved the world that He gave His Son Jesus that all who believe in Him would have life and have it more abundantly (John 3:16; 10:10). Surely, having demonstrated the extent of His love for His children, how can we doubt Him when He says “Don’t worry”? Is there anything too hard for Him to handle? (Genesis 18:4).

Whatever it is that weighs heavily on your heart and mind, why not resolve to come boldly to the throne of grace and leave it there? “Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Philippians 4:6-8, The Message).