Walking on Water

This whole weekend God was talking to me about faith and stepping out. Friday was a humbling time of realizing how much faith I used to work in, and realizing that I probably wouldn’t make the same insane decisions now. Saturday was reflection on how important faith was to a relationship with God, and Sunday was about walking on water.

In Matthew 14:22-31, Peter saw something Jesus was doing and understood something about discipleship that we often miss. If Jesus is doing it, it’s accessible to us - he is inviting us into it. Often we sit and wait to be called. Peter asked - “Lord, can I do the same thing?” He looked for it and understood that, as a disciple, he was called to live exactly as his master lived. What I find super interesting is that he was still chided for having little faith.

He started out okay, walking on the water and having his eyes fixed on Jesus. But when he started seeing what he was doing and seeing the issues around him, he started to sink.

What about the 11 other disciples that were still left in the boat? Yes, they joked with Peter afterwards, teasing him for almost drowning and having to have Jesus rescue him. But Jesus didn’t seem to mind, and Peter experienced the miracle of walking on water. If Peter had little faith, how much did the other disciples have?

We fit into these two categories as well. Some people are like Peter, able to jump out in faith but sustaining their initial passion and commitment is incredibly difficult. Others are like the 11, where their difficulty is getting started and understanding what their lives could be like in Christ. They are waiting for explicit orders from God before moving, even though there is a world of possibilities open for those who ask.

If you are a Peter, understand that walking on the water is not an instantaneous action but a commitment - you have to start strong and keep going strong. It’s not enough to have an outburst of faith but you have to live it out. And whatever you do, don’t look down! Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and walk toward Him. Let His words carry more weight than your own experiences, understanding, and even the laws of physics. If this is you, understand your weakness and know that your biggest battle won’t be in the getting started but the continuing in faith.

If you are one of the 11, don’t let life pass you by. You don’t want to live your life thinking “what would have happened if I had stepped out, or even just asked?” Don’t just be satisfied with miracles happening around you in others’ lives, but look for what God wants to do in yours. God is always at work - He is working in the poor, the rich, in systems and in homes. In fact, He’s doing so many things that sometimes He is just looking for the one part of the kingdom that you want to participate in. There is not a single thing Jesus did that He didn’t invite his disciples to participate in. Raising the dead, meetings with Moses and Elijah, baptizing, feeding thousands… Everything He did was open for his disciples to join and do the same thing. All you have to do is ask.