Fixing Your Focus
By: Alisha Headley
“…O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:31
This is what Jesus asked Peter and his disciples after He told them to walk on water towards Him. When I hear the story of Peter walking on water, I often think to myself, why would the disciples doubt when Jesus himself is telling him to walk on the water towards Him? Remember, we know the ending to this story, but at the time, Peter and the disciples could only see the storm that surrounded them and had no idea if walking on water could in fact be done.
Let's put ourselves in Peter’s shoes on this day. Yes, we could see Jesus far off in the distance in the midst of the storm. We even hear Jesus’s voice and he tells us to “come (walk on water) and do not be afraid” (verse 29). As we begin taking our first few steps with our gaze on Jesus, we take a step and I imagine we would quickly realize that we are indeed walking on water. That one step in faith proved Jesus is faithful as He told us to come towards Him. Then in an instant, we begin to feel the wind against us and get scared. Just as Peter said in verse 30 after he began to walk on water… “when he saw the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me.’”
This is when Jesus says “O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Verse 31)
I find myself wanting to be a woman of faith. Praying and believing that the Lord will answer my prayers. That the Lord will guide me as I take new steps of faith out into unfamiliar uncharted water. I’ve stepped into a new role as a stay-at-home wife as I left a successful career in finance. I left the career to pursue a calling God placed on my heart to write. I’m walking on completely unknown waters and it's frightening. I am surrounded by storms of doubt, insecurity, and fear.
Has God called you to step out onto the water and pursue something new and unfamiliar with the unknown all around you?
I often find myself wanting to run back into the boat where it's what I consider safe and familiar. Inside the boat is my comfort zone. But is it really faith if you’re believing in what is safe? Faith is believing it what you cannot see. God calls us to live a life of faith being totally focused on Him and not the wind and the waves.
You see, Peter was walking on water when he first stepped out with his gaze fixed on Jesus. When did he begin sinking according to Verse 30? He began sinking when he stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the wind. It is the moment he took his eyes off Jesus that he began to be afraid.
If you’re going through a boisterous time right now or worrying about something in your life, I encourage you to do the one thing Peter did not: FIX YOUR FOCUS. Keep your eyes on Jesus to guide you as you take each new step throughout the storm. And have faith that He will protect you as He promises us to not be afraid. Whenever I feel stressed or worry about what my eyes can see, with the storm visible in front of me, I know I need to fix my focus back on Jesus. Don’t slip, and don’t lose your focus as Peter did. Focus on Him! Place your faith not in what you see around you (the wind), but rather on what you can’t see (the word) of Jesus who calls you to come towards Him.
Alisha Headley is a writer and speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom and power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s Word. You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on Facebook + Instagram.
Looking for authentic conversations about how to deal with body image, insecurity, and comparison issues as a Christian woman? The Compared to Who? Podcast is the show for you! Twice a week, we tackle tough topics like dieting, disordered eating, weight loss, aging, body dysmorphia, and more from a practical, grace-filled, gospel-centered perspective.
Originally published Tuesday, 23 April 2024.
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