Peter Walks On Water
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:26-33, ESV
We tend to see this event as a failure on Peter’s part to not have enough faith in Jesus. However, there’s another side to this that I think we miss a lot.
Out of all the disciples on the boat Peter was the only one brave enough to even get out of the boat in the first place. He may have failed once he got our there but at least he took the first step.
His faith was strong when he started, but as he got in the midst of it his faith began to waver.
I believe this is how all of us start out. We start out on an uncertain path ready to meet Jesus, but the moment it starts to get difficult we lose sight of Him and start trying to work it out on our own. We had enough faith to start, but the moment it stopped going the way we thought or wanted we gave up on trusting Jesus.
Taking that first step of faith is a lot further than most people make it. If you get out onto the water and start to waver, know you’re not alone and it isn’t the end. Peter sinking into the water wasn’t the end of his journey with Jesus.
Your failures are not the end of your story. Your fear does not define you. As long as you are brave enough to get back up, face your fears, and refocus your faith, you will finish strong.
Gracie Waldrop 