Fear: another life lesson from Peter

What are you afraid of?
What overwhelms you?
What makes you want to hide in the closet?

Peter was impulsive. He did things with passion and excitement. He had what some today would maybe even call a "flare for the dramatic". He was always doing something crazy. Like cutting off the ear of a soldier to protect Jesus. He was always bold. Never afraid, right?

We know Peter as the "rock" the disciple Jesus chooses to build his church. The strong one. The caretaker. Jesus tells Peter to "look after the flock" in John chapter 21.

So Peter, the strong, passionate, brave one can even be overcome by fear. Let's look at the story of Peter walking on the water.

Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.

But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."

Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come ahead."

Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"

Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?" --Matthew 14:24-31 the message

So Peter, jumps into the water, to do this amazing thing he sees Jesus doing. All the other disciples are probably mumbling about how Peter is showing off again and some probably are hoping he succeeds, while others are probably hoping the show-off drowns.

Peter takes a few steps. Kinda cocky. Looking Good. Setting the example. Trusting Jesus. Then all of a sudden, he looks around. He takes his eyes off of Jesus. He notices how dark it is, he hears the water swishing and feels it cold against his feet. He hears the faint voices of those still safely in the boat. He feels the wind blowing his clothes, the smell of the water gets into his nose. He looks down into the swirling water and begins to sink. He's terrified--he's probably thinking "This isn't some kiddy pool--this is deep water!!" So he's scared, he's ovewhelmed, and he can feel the water now raging all around him as he sinks deeper and deeper. In desperation, he calls out to Jesus to save him. Jesus grabs on, and helps him back into the boat. Then Jesus asks him this important question: WHY DID YOU DOUBT?

How often in our own lives do we try to do something, only to get scared and back off. Do you feel Jesus calling you to come, to try and step out and then you take your eyes off of him only to become overwhelmed and feel like you're in over your head? It's easy to be passionate. It's not always easy to follow through on that passion. Peter loved Jesus. Believed in him--trusted him. Except once he got out onto the water, he decided to trust himself and what he knew more. The end result: He's all wet, he's scared and he's desperately searching for salvation.

Standing up for what you believe, even when others disagree. Seeking to do the right thing, even when it hurts. Staying to hold someones hand when walking away is the easiest choice. Living for Jesus when people laugh at the lifestyle. We step out of the boat all the time, excited about the adventure of walking on the water. Then we begin to trust ourselves, and our own experiences. We get hurt. We get scared. Life gets too hard. We can feel the water creeping up around us, and the waves crashing over us. We feel the wind burning our cheeks in powerful gusts. Do we trust ourselves to calm the storm, or do we cry out to Jesus--trusting that he will pull us out and dry us off?

Jesus is there, waiting for our cry. Hoping we're passionate enough, and that we are brave enough to step out again. Asking that we keep our eyes on him to get us through the storm.