Have you ever thought, “It’s too much?” “THIS is too much.”
I have. I have had those thoughts more times than I care to count. We all have our personal burdens. For some, it is delinquent children, for others, it is health issues. It can be financial issues, marital strife, addiction, or relationship problems. It could be wondering how you are going to do it all, especially during these COVID
times.
The unbearable weight of responsibility weighs heavy. The burden crushing at times. But, what if I told you that I know a way to lessen the burden? It is easy.
Take your eyes off of you and put them where they belong.
There is a story in the Bible. You might have heard it before. It is in Matthew 14:22-33. This is my paraphrased version.
Jesus was speaking to a crowd and told the disciples to go ahead and leave in the boat. He would join them later. (They had to wonder how He was going to do that!) Jesus prayed for a while by himself. He prayed most of the night and the boat blew pretty far out into the lake. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to the disciples’ boat, walking on the lake. When they saw the person walking on the lake they were terrified and thought it was a ghost! Jesus saw that they were scared and told them to chill out and not be afraid. “It is I,” he said. Peter said, if it is really you, then tell me to come to you on the water.
(I am not sure what Peter was thinking. The only thing I guess is that He KNEW Jesus could do anything and was not going to let him drown.)
So Jesus told Peter to come out on the water. Peter crawled out of the boat, stepped on the water, and walked!! BUT when he realized what he was doing and saw the wind and waves, he began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached down and caught him. Jesus said, “why did you doubt?”
Then they walked back to the boat together (on the water) and got in the boat. As Jesus entered the boat, the water calmed down and the disciples were amazed!
We are all in that rocky boat. I love that this story covers many personality styles and Jesus calms the storm for everyone. You might be that go-getter that is willing to jump. Jesus will meet you! Get his permission before jumping out of the boat and keep your eyes on Him when you do!
You may be barely surviving in the boat. You are hanging on to the side, seasick, praying that someone will settle your life. Jesus can.
The storm is not important. Your focus is.
Are you distracted by the storm or are you focused on the one who has the power to calm it?
Today, I am going to try to keep my focus on the One who walks on water, so that I may walk too!
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