Have you ever had a first thought that was daring, but after venturing out in response you had a second one, which questioned whether what you were doing is dangerous? Peter, the most daring of the Lord’s disciples asked for and received a command from the Lord to get out of the boat and walk on the water to where he was.
But, when almost there — within arm’s reach of Jesus — his mind got off the Lord and onto the circumstances and the situation in which he found himself.
This Gospel narrative reminds me of the opportunities that we face in life, and the challenges that usually come with them.
The challenge in a journey of faith is usually encountered between the heart and the head; that is, between our quick response to God-given opportunities and our reactions to the challenges that accompany them.
First thoughts arise from the heart; second thoughts descend from the mind. When the mind questions the heart falters. The heart then “sinks”! When you receive a word from the Lord to do what’s in your heart, don’t think twice!
Peter’s heart ‘sank’ when he thought twice and his body followed. He was close enough, however to Jesus, however, to call out to him for help as he “began to sink”! “Began to sink”? We don’t “begin” to sink — we either walk on water or ‘plop’ into it and go under! It was Peter’s faith that was sinking — his body just followed.
Jesus walked on water because it was the easiest way to cross the lake. The natural impossibility of walking on water never occurred to him, so he simply did so. Jesus never had second thoughts about anything he was doing, because he did everything in response to the will of his Father.
When Peter saw Jesus on the water it occurred to him that he could walk on it as well — if Jesus so ordered.
But Peter hesitated. The NT Greek word “distazo” means “to look both ways” — a good thought when crossing a busy road but not while walking across a stormy lake as ordered by the Lord Jesus. When we hesitate, we hit the ‘pause’ button. Peter paused within reach of Jesus. Likewise, we pause after we venture out but stop short of seeing it through to a successful conclusion.
We all have objectives in life but tend to falter when things that looked promising now look threatening. We get our eyes off Jesus and in so doing pause and stop short. When forward movement stops the heart sinks. If we are desperate enough to call out to the Lord, he grasps our hand (so to speak) and lifts us back onto our feet.
I gave my life to Jesus Christ at the age of twenty-one and never have regretted that life-changing decision. I like the fact that Jesus and Peter walked together to the boat and then, together with the less venturesome disciples, sailed together successfully. Life’s so much better with the Lord on board!
Jesus was able to walk on water because it did not occur to him that he could not. We can only ‘walk out’ on a word — an order –from the Lord because if we have not received one, we’ll end up ‘going under’.
Once you’ve ‘stepped out’ on a new venture at the Lord’s leading, don’t think twice! Don’t put your venture on Pause! Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus and KEEP ON KEEPING ON!