Do you want to know what God’s plan and path for your life is? Like, you get the sense that God has a special role for you to play in the world. Something rewarding and fulfilling.

You just don’t know what that path is?

There is one story I think shows us one of the most critical elements to understanding God’s path for us. It’s found in Matthew 14:22-33, and it’s where Jesus walks on water. Now, this story is also found in Mark 6 and John 6, but in Matthew’s account, we see an important part to the story – we see another person walk on water.

In Matthew, we see Peter get out of the boat and become the Buzz Aldrin of water walking to Jesus’ Neil Armstrong. And it’s in Peter’s example I think we find the key component to following in the footsteps of Christ:

Peter had enough faith to do the impossible.

I feel like the raw familiarity of this story undercuts how ridiculous the whole situation is. Here’s why:

The Disciples (including Peter), were utter terrified – They were alone in the middle of a stormy lake, completely isolated from any help. It was something like 3AM. And there is a ghost hovering over the water. The disciples were likely out of their mind with fear.

What I find fascinating is the fact that the disciples were scared of Christ. God Himself terrified them with His presence and miracle. That fact alone makes me want to ask you a question:

When was the last time God frightened you with His presence or power?

Many of us want a safe God, who calms the storms in our life. We want the peace that surpasses understanding. We seem to forget that in order for God to calm the storms in life, we need to be in the middle of storms.

Peter had to let go of security to live into God’s path: There is an irony to the whole situation on the lake that night. The boat was the disciples security, and also their burden. As long as the boat stayed afloat, the disciples could survive. If, however, the buoyancy of their boat came into question, then they were literally sunk. It’s a catch-22. They can’t let go of the very thing that may sink them.

Often times we struggle to truly follow Christ’s path for us because we have to let go of the thing that has kept us safe and secure for so long. These may be good things (jobs, for example) that get in the way of our path to Christ.

It takes faith to let go of our boats.

But it’s also the only way to follow Christ into the miraculous purpose of our lives.

What is your “boat”? What is stopping you from following Christ out onto the waves? Is it fear? Or is it safety?

Let me know…