Faith is Spelled “RISK”
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:29-30
“There is more.”
My wife, Beth, shared this simple but powerful message with us on Sunday. Something about her message stirred afresh in me a hunger for more. I prayed a quiet prayer, “Lord, don’t let me settle for what I have experienced or have known about You. I want Your more!” The funny thing about more is this: you can’t have more and hold on for dear life to what you have now. It seems to me that a part of going after more is letting go of what you have so you can receive the next thing God wants to give you. Peter displayed a “MORE” spirit in the story we read today from Matt. 14. When every disciple in their boat was paralyzed with fear, Peter looked at Jesus, who was miraculously standing on the Sea of Galilee in the midst of a storm! And his heart cried out for more. He asked, “Lord if it’s you, command me to come to you.” Now that’s a profound prayer. He sees Jesus doing something beyond human ability, and instead of just marveling, Peter wants to do it too! He is hungry to learn and experience “more” for himself. I can only imagine what he felt when he made his first step onto the water and he did not sink! The water held him up. That must have been incredible. I believe we each have a boat of our own comfort that we are riding in. It’s what we’ve known. It’s things we can count on. Yet I hear Jesus saying to each of us, “Come!” He is offering us a walk into the supernatural. He is calling out to the hunger in our hearts for more. He is inviting us into a faith walk that can change us forever. What things in your life are you afraid to release in order to reach out for God’s “more” for you? Maybe you’ve settled into a routine and don’t want to bother with a change of schedule. Maybe your finances say, “I can’t,” but Jesus is saying, “Trust me.” Perhaps you can’t see yourself doing a certain ministry or task that God is asking you to do, but you know it’s time to do it anyway. Whatever your challenge, I want to encourage you today to take a step out of your boat. John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard movement, used to say that faith is spelled, RISK. You have to risk something in order to see your faith grow. You have to trust Jesus, even when your mind and others are screaming, “Don’t do it, you dummy!” You have to let go of the boat and take the first step. John Ortberg wrote a great book with a catchy title, You Can’t Walk on Water Unless You Get Out Of The Boat. We know that’s true. But let’s take some risks this week to prove that to be true. Obey that nagging prompting to talk to your co-worker about Jesus. Take a risk and pray for your friend is who is struggling with a difficult illness or pain. Offer to lead a meeting or ministry that you have never done before. When you step out of the boat, I guarantee you will experience a little bit of the “more” your heart is seeking. Take a risk. You may sink a little in the process. But Jesus promises He will be there to catch you by the hand. He loves to reward our faith. Step out today. There’s more awaiting you outside of your boat!
Tom Camacho