That Sinking Feeling

I was reading this morning about Peter's experience of stepping out of the boat upon the raging waters of the storm.  He stepped out of the rocking boat and, in faith, stood firmly upon the stormy sea.  But fear soon began to replace faith as the enormity of what he was doing began to sink in and he got the sinking feeling that he was in way too deep.  At this point, he began to sink beneath the waves that were suddenly overcoming him (cf. Matt 14:28-30).

It is common to look at this narrative and cluck our tongues at Peter's lack of faith and fear that struck his heart as he took his eyes off the Savior and focused on the sea instead.  Peter failed, not because he was unable to walk on water, none of us has the ability to walk on water, but he failed because he didn't trust the Lord to accomplish in him what he could never do.  He judged what he saw against his ability to navigate it and gave in to the circumstance rather than trust in the Christ.

It is fair, and even important, to consider what gave Peter that sinking feeling that caused him to be swallowed up by the sea.  But just as important is the faith that allowed Peter to step out of the boat in the first place.  Can you imagine his climb over the side, stepping out of a thrashing boat into a raging sea that was suddenly firm under his feet?  Can you imagine how his mind was racing over as the absolutely overwhelming experience began to sink in?  Regardless of what happened next, Peter stepped out of the boat into the stormy sea because he listened to the call of Jesus.

Secondly, when he did begin to sink as his fear began to overwhelm his faith, he didn't just thrash around, he didn't just continue to sink until he drowned, he did call out to Jesus to save him.  Yes, his faith gave in to fear but his fear led him back to faith.  Knowing that he couldn't walk on water caused him to sink, but knowing he was about to drown caused him to call on the Lord.

You may be holding on to a boat buffeted by the winds and waves of the storm.  Are you willing to step out in faith into the stormy sea?  Perhaps you have stepped out and now you feel overwhelmed and have the sinking feeling that you are about to sink - and you will unless you get back in the boat, back, which may sink as well, or reach out to the Savior to lift you out of the waters.

The sinking feeling comes from Satan, who plays on our fears, trying to get us to retreat to a false place of safety - the tiny boat on the raging sea.  We must choose to retreat in fear or advance in faith.  We can let the fear causing the sinking feeling to overwhelm us or allow our faith to undergird us.  Satan tells us that we can't possibly succeed.  The Lord assures us that "he can do more than we can ask or imagine according to his power at work within us" (Eph 3:20).  Which voice will you listen to when you get that sinking feeling?  Jus' Ask'n.