Step Out in Courage
Before you give Peter a hard time about having a lack of faith, ask yourself, “Would you have stepped out of the boat?”
So we all know the story of Peter walking on water, stepping out of the boat, and falling into the water when he took his eyes off Jesus. But let’s go back to Matthew 14:27. Here, Jesus says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Peter and the other disciples were exhausted. They’ve had long days of ministry with Jesus. They were out on a boat in the middle of the storm. It was most likely between 3:00 am and 6:00 am. Then, they see a mysterious figure standing on the water. If you put all this together, you probably would be afraid as well.
Jesus Gives Assurance
Jesus was aware of the disciples' fear. He gives them three reminders.
Take Courage
Jesus is Here
Don’t Be Afraid
You have a good reason to be concerned when you are called. You know God has given you a calling, but it’s challenging to leave a comfortable job, difficult to move to a new country, or challenging to make the initial phone call. When Jesus said these three sentences, He did not indicate that the fear was not real. What Jesus did was remind the disciples that fear can be dismissed when He is present. It was this reminder that gave Peter the courage to step out of the boat.
Peter saw and recognized his Savior. Peter heard the comforting words of Jesus, and it gave him hope to leave the disciples and the boat. Before we talk about Peter’s lack of faith, remember that he was the only one who had the courage to step out of the boat and walk to Jesus. The storms continued, and the waves kept crashing. But Peter took a courageous step.
When God Calls You
When God calls you, He wants to give you His courage. The first step to obedience to God’s call on your life is to take a step of courage. You have to leave your comfort zone and step into the unknown. The comfort zone for Peter was the boat, and the unknown was walking on water. Your comfort zone may be your job, your hometown, or your finances. But, what if God has called you to leave that behind because He knows some things cannot go with you when you take a step of courage to your calling?
Are you willing to step into the unknown to take a step of courage?