The following is written by Emmett Penke of Rainier Hills Young Life:
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake…But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said (from Matthew 14:22-33 ESV).
Peter was wrestling with a decision – should he go or should he remain? If he stays he is safe. The comfort of the vessel he was in kept him from the elements, he was with those he knew and he was a fisherman so being there in the boat was familiar and expected. Then again, he was captivated with Jesus. He had seen what Jesus was capable of and how those who knew Jesus were never the same. If he stayed in the boat life was predictable and comfortable. If he went out life would be unfamiliar, out of his comfort zone and his control but he knew life with Jesus was unbelievable.
He picked his foot up, braced himself with his hands on the boat’s gunwale and stepped over the edge. With eyes on Jesus he took a step out on the water, then another step and yet another…
What an amazing interaction and encouragement to us!
We can keep Jesus at a distance and have life comfortable and familiar or we can answer his call and experience life in a way that is humanly impossible.
Where is Jesus calling you? Where is he calling us? What is keeping us from saying “yes”? Don’t get me wrong, I understand how difficult it is. I often struggle with answering God’s call with a “yes” – it’s often the harder response but its result is the extraordinary. God doesn’t always call us to easy but he does call us to more. God calls us to abundant and full. God calls us to him. It doesn’t matter your age, season of life or even where you currently stand with Jesus. One thing I know is Jesus is calling us; it could be into your first experience with him, a position of leadership, apologizing to someone you’ve wronged, forgiving someone, serving versus seeking to be served. Whatever it is, now is the time to step out of the familiar and step into the amazing. Are you ready for more out of life?
