Sometimes, in our lives, we doubt what we already know despite what we have been taught. Have you been there and done that?
“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?””Matthew 14:31 NIV
Reflection
We have all read this or had it read to us. We might have watched it in one of those movies about Jesus's life. Poor Peter is the example of someone who is all in and then isn’t. If you recall, this isn’t the last time he denied his faith in Jesus.
If you have lived long enough, there is no doubt you have come face to face with a crisis of belief. Perhaps even right now in your life? Let’s dig into that a little.
As Jesus' followers, believers, and maybe even attendees of services, we have no doubt been given some instruction on the rights and wrongs of living a godly life. We have the Ten Commandments as a start, and we further have what Jesus taught us about loving others as we love ourselves.
This later commandment can be very hard for some. Some people do not love themselves very much. They continue to make poor choices, crowd out God by focusing on unpraiseworthy things, and neglect this most important relationship any of us can have. The one with God.
Peter, a person who was front and center with Jesus, a man who knew Jesus was with the Messiah, that savior he was taught about as a child, had a crisis or two of faith. He in one moment is strong as a rock and in another a human. I’m pretty sure many of us could identify with him.
So, what should we take away from this? If we look at that verse a little longer, the phrase “You of little faith” should ring in our ears, be heard by our soul, and step in and challenge us. Why?
When you look at the model of Jesus, you see He was always recentering with God by getting away and spending time with Him. He prayed to the Father and told us that things happen if we believe when we pray. Not the immediate “poof” here's what you just ask for. When you center on the Father and make Him your partner, this time is a time you can endure, perhaps thrive with, and have some peace.
In this example, a call out asking if it is Him, an expression of you know I Am, and a leap of faith doing something unimaginable and an almost immediate fallback of non-belief. Imagine that? You believe. You step out in that faith, and then you waiver. Fear leaps in, and then what do you do again ... well jump right back into that faith, asking to be saved! Talk about a crisis of faith. I believe I’m doing something only you can allow me to do with my faith, then I lose my faith in it, and then I ask you to save me!
Peter and this very simple story should be important to us as we figure out how to deal with faith. There are so many more examples of people being healed as Jesus spent His ministry teaching. So many times, He reminded us that it was with the person's faith that healing was possible. Think about that. The Bible points out so many places where true trust and surrender happened, and the impossible was made possible—life-changing.
Back to Peter. So Peter walks on the water. Starts to drown and then asks to be saved and is saved. He continues that journey with Jesus right up until Jesus dies. So how does Peter reward these past three years with Jesus? He gets very earthly! He, as Jesus is being murdered, denies Him. Jesus even tells him what’s going to happen. Holy crap! However, Peter is also the one on whom Jesus built His church. The man who struggled with his faith until he didn’t. When Peter jumped into the deep end, everything changed.
Now, I can’t end with it all rosy when you do. It isn’t. Peter and the others went through incredible trials and tribulations along the walk when they jumped into the deep end and had an unwavering faith. When they took up their callings, they did have the peace in their soul that no matter what, things would be the way God wanted them. Notice, I didn’t say things would be fine. They would be the way God wanted them. That’s exactly how it is for us. That is what God is wanting from us. What’s that? We need to trust and surrender in the outcomes of our lives, knowing that God is at work and He has His reasons, and we don’t need to know precisely why. We need to have that faith in Him and accept it all.
Jesus asked Peter and perhaps us now, “Why do you doubt?”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, it is not easy to be fully in. We can say it, but it is hard to live it. Our earthly way draws us back. Please help us, Father, jump into the deep end of this faith. Help us realize that trust and surrender to you is the way to a more joyful and peaceful life here. Help us realize that we are best when we take each day as it comes and keep our past in the past. Help us live for the moments we have, not those we don’t. Thank you for Peter's life and the example we get to see. Please bless us as we step into that water and save us when we waver so, like Peter, we can come to our senses and trust you fully. Please keep us, our families, and our friends safe. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
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