Facing Down The Fear Of Failure (Part 2)
Scripture: Matthew 14:22-23
This incident in the life of Jesus and His disciples is compelling and very instructive. All of us want to feel that we are in control. There is nothing worst than sensing that our world is spinning wildly out of control.
Pressure increases or decreases in direct proportion to the degree of control we are able to exercise over our circumstances, finances, relationships, employment and everything we do.
We Christians have a distinct advantage when stress and tension impinges on us. We can virtually obey this precept. "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this."
(Psalm 37: 5) Life is never out of control when God is in control. (Col. 3:15) What did the disciples do once Jesus revealed Himself to them?They Had To Recognize Jesus.
24-26 Jesus had just fed 5000 people. It was a substantial object lesson for the disciples. Jesus dismissed them and told them to get into a boat and cross over to the opposite side while He went up into a mountain alone to pray. This was nothing new for Jesus. However, the disciples were also alone. This was something new for them. Now everything seemed to spin out of control. Not only were they dismissed by Jesus but they were alone in a terrifying storm.
We often find ourselves buffeted and thrown about by wind and waves. It's easy to trust Jesus when we are with him. It is more difficult to trust him when the going gets rough. We need to trust God in the dark for what he told us in the light. It is always good to remember that Jesus will never do anything to injure us. He loves us too much for that.
Years ago a military officer and his wife were aboard a ship that was caught in a raging ocean storm. Seeing the frantic look in her eyes, the man tried unsuccessfully to alleviate her fears. Suddenly she grasped his sleeve and cried, "How can you be so calm?" He stepped back a few feet and drew his sword. Pointing it at her heart, he said, "Are you afraid of this?" Without hesitation she answered, "Of course not!" "Why not?" he inquired. "Because it's in your hand, and you love me too much to hurt me." To this he replied, "I know the One who holds the winds and the waters in the hollow of His hand, and He will surely care for us!" The officer was not disturbed because he had put his trust in the Lord.
The disciples were Buffeted by waves and billows (24-26) The wind was against them. How many of us have been in like circumstances? We are more susceptible to fear when the wind is blowing against us. We become afraid when life is buffeting us this way and that. It is hard to recognize Jesus when the wind is against us. Isn't this amazing? The disciples were so afraid that they mistook Jesus for an illusion of the imagination.
It is hard to recognize that Jesus is on the scene when the waters get rough. It is hard to see Jesus when your family is being pulled apart. It's difficult to see Jesus when you lose your job. It is hard to see Jesus when your children go astray. It is almost impossible to see Jesus when you lose a loved one. It is distressing when your health is failing. In times like these you question where Jesus is when you hurt? The answer is that Jesus comes walking on the waves of your crisis. He doesn't come walking on a calm sea.
Psalm 18: 9 says, "He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet."Jesus speaks in the midst of your failures. He talks to you when the wind is against you and the waves are crashing around. Do you hear Him? The storm is to rough, your heart is breaking and your world is falling apart. What do you do when it's hard to see and hear Jesus in your circumstances?
Dare To Take The First Step
28-30 When the wind is against you what are you to do? How do you handle it when you are swamped by the waves and winds of adverse circumstances? Jesus said to Peter, ."WALK ON WATER." Risky? Yes! Nevertheless, you must take a risk, get moving, step out of your comfort zone and walk on the waves. You must risk everything and face the storm head on.
The first step is always the most difficult. If he tells you to walk on water you can do it, however, we must be willing to trust Him. How do you walk on water? You do this by moving along with the storm, in the circumstances, serving the Lord. That's impossible, you say. However, nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. It is difficult to step out of the comfort zone.
Peter had to step out of his comfort zone (jump out of the boat) and take a calculated risk. (28-30) Surprisingly, he found out that he couldn't do it. We can't either without some help from Jesus. We will never find out if we can do something if we don't take the first step. However, just about everything we do in life involves some risk. For example: To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to someone else is to risk involvement. To expose your emotions is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To believe is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure.
The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. People who risk nothing do nothing, have nothing, and are nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live. If we are chained by our attitudes they will enslave us. This results in forfeiture of our freedom.
Only a person who risks everything is free. This is what Peter did when he wanted to walk on water. He risked everything. Sure enough, as soon as he did he saw the wind and the waves and he began to sink. What can we do? We can do the same thing Peter did.
Focus on the presence of Jesus
.(28-30) This took courage. Here, Peter made a crucial mistake. "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink . . ." Peter was beginning to drown. When he saw the wind it made him look around at the waves and the wind.
This is what makes us sink. We look at the circumstances, the storms blowing around us and when we take our focus off Jesus we go only one way and that is down. What does one do when we can't swim any longer in the storms of life? Will we focus on what we did wrong or will we focus on Jesus who can do nothing wrong?
Call out To Jesus.
V 30 "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" If we focus on the possibility of failure more than on the presence of Jesus, we are in serious trouble. Peter said, Please Lord, save me. I'm sinking and drowning in the wind and waves. The Word of God says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isa. 41:10)
Keep your faith strong.
V 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" I don't believe that Jesus comes physically from heaven and snatches us out of our storm. God sends other people to hold us up and encourage us when we are in the storm. We are His hands, arms, feet, voice's. Paul teaches us about this in
1 Cor. 12: 26,27. "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." We are part of Christ's body of which He is the Head. He sends signals out to his body and His body acts on His behalf.In one of my favorite Peanuts cartoons, Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold. "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"
The church must mobilize to meet needs of its people. This is the reason for the church's existence. We are here so that we can rush to the aid of a hurting member. Isn't this what you do when some part of your physical body is injured? This is why the Lord has given us material things
(Rom.. 15: 13: Heb 13:16: Eph 4:28). Someone has said that churches should be like M.A.S.H. units (Mobil Army Spiritual Hospitals). When we have this kind of mentality it's much easier to see Jesus in the storm.What we need is strong faith. How do we develop strong faith? It is simple; nevertheless, it requires self discipline. Faith comes by hearing and acting on Christ's word. This is what Peter did. when he said, "Lord, if it's you . . . tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus said, " Come." Peter acted on Christ's Word.
Will I focus on what is going wrong, or will I focus on Jesus? It makes good sense to know the dangers, to be prepared, to be safe and to avoid reckless living. There is however, a line we can cross; it is the line of negativism or inordinate fear. Fear paralyses. When Peter thought about the possibility of failure more than on the fact that Jesus was right there in front of him, he began to sink.
Worship the Lord
V 33 Once Jesus intervenes in our circumstances we are filled with awe. We will worship the Lord. Jesus stepped into the boat, the storm ceased and there was a wonderful calm. When we focus on the presence of Christ and He steps into our boat of life we will experience a wonderful calm. Worshipping Him will come as naturally as breathing. We will give glory to Christ who intersects our lives and supports us in the storm.