When Fear Becomes Bigger Than Your Faith

When Fear Becomes Bigger Than Your Faith

Scripture: Matthew 14:30–31
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”

Peter experienced something extraordinary: he walked on water.

For a moment, Peter was doing something humanly impossible because his attention was fixed upon Jesus.

Then something changed.

The storm did not suddenly appear. The waves had already been there. The wind had already been blowing.
What changed was Peter's focus.

The Bible says, “when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid.”

Peter moved his attention from Christ to the conditions around him. Fear entered, doubt followed, and Peter began to sink.

We often do the same thing.
We look at the doctor's report.
We look at the bank account.
We look at our family situation.
We look at the news.
We look at everything that could go wrong.

Before long, the storm becomes bigger in our minds than the Savior standing before us.
Faith does not deny the existence of storms. Faith simply refuses to believe that the storm is greater than God.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of Peter's story is what happened when he began sinking. Peter cried, “Lord, save me.”

And immediately Jesus reached for him.

Peter's doubt did not cause Jesus to abandon him.

Neither will yours.

When fear begins overwhelming your faith, turn your attention back toward Christ. Stop measuring God's ability by the size of your problem.

The waves may be powerful.

The wind may be strong.

The situation may be frightening.

But Jesus is still Lord over the storm.

Reflection Question:
What circumstance have I been watching so closely that I have taken my attention away from Christ?

Daily Takeaway:
Doubt grows when we magnify the storm; faith grows when we magnify the Savior.