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Jesus had just finished feeding 5,000 people miraculously when he sent His disciples ahead of him in a boat. Far away from land, a fierce storm came against the disciples they were very afraid. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus approached them, walking on the water. When they saw Jesus walking on the water, they were also afraid - thinking He was a ghost. But like Peter who stepped out of the boat by faith and began to walk on the water towards Jesus, you have to see your stormy situation as an opportunity to experience God in another dimension. You have to step out in faith, break up with your fear so that you can get engaged with your destiny.
Don’t fear the situation
During the storm, the disciples were afraid of the storm (the situation) and the appearance of Jesus walking on the water towards them (the solution). The situation is not the problem in the boat because the boat will float as long as the situation on the outside does not get on the inside. Boats only sink when the situation on the outside gets inside.
To keep situations outside from getting inside of you, you have to keep negative, doubtful, fearful, bad-news people out of your life. You can walk through hell and not be bothered at all but you will begin to drown the moment external situations gets inside of you. You start to drown the moment fear starts showing up in your conversation, in your speech, in your thought life, and in your attitude. This first sign that you are going down is when you allow the things outside you to get on the inside. People who ride on the storm of life do it because they can flow through the storm and not allow it to get in them. You can go through recession and depression if you don’t allow the news on the outside to affect your thought life on the inside.
Keep situations from getting inside of you
To prevent waters outside form getting inside, seamen always pitch their ships inside and outside, tarring it in every cracked and open places because they know that the waters will come. They build up defenses against the waters on the outside to prevent them from getting on the inside. To keep situations outside from getting inside of you, you have to keep negative, doubtful, fearful, bad-news people out of your life. These are people who talk you out of stepping out, who tell you to better watch out and use common sense. They leave holes in your faith and you begin to doubt after they leave you. But you want to be with people who build, strengthen, and fortify you so you can go through life situations without it going through you. If you allow situations outside to get inside, you will begin to see difficulties because of the circumstances around you. What are you going through right now that is getting into you? To know situations that are getting in you right now, listen to what you talk about. What you are talking about is an indication of what your heart is filled with. If your heart is full of the Holy Ghost, the mouth speaks out in the language of the Spirit.
Don’t fear the solution
The disciples were also afraid when they saw Jesus coming towards them, walking on the water. Jesus was coming to rescue them from the storm but they are even afraid the solution. Their situation could be likened to a man that is on the tenth floor of a building on fire and firemen standing at the bottom of the building, telling him to jump. The man is afraid of the fire – he did not want to get burned; but he is also afraid of height – refusing to jump down. So, he stood there on the tenth floor asking, “Is there another option?” But he has limited time to deliberate because the fire is coming after him. It’s either he is going to jump or he is going to burn. If you stay on the tenth floor, you are going to die, but if you jump, you might break a leg but you might live. It might be better to have a broken leg than to burn to death.
you have to say goodbye to this in order to say hello to that - T.D. Jakes Most people who are fearful do not think because fear is not rational. Jesus was walking on the water towards the disciples but they did not recognize him because God is hard to recognize in the storm. Although the disciples had been with Jesus few minutes before the storm broke out, it was hard for them to see God in their storm. They are as afraid of the solution as they are of the situation. When you are faced with these two fears, don’t stand there and refuse to do anything; don’t stay on the boat because you are familiar with it. Staying in the boat is a trick of the enemy who is stealing your life. You might be rocking on the boat of mediocrity when God is calling you to an opportunity. You will get stuck on the boat of mediocrity if you lack the courage to step out and walk towards the opportunity to do what God has called you to do.
Don’t think mediocre
Out of the twelve disciples, only Peter took the courage to jump up, call out to Jesus and said, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come." Jesus told Peter to come and he (Peter) stepped out and started walking on the water. Peter’s question indicated he wants to know Jesus in another dimension. Although Peter was with the other disciples, he does not think like them. The other disciples are satisfied to stay trembling in the boat of mediocrity. Even though Peter was with the other disciples, there is something inside of him that is different and he is willing to leave them behind to have an opportunity to walk with Jesus. You also must be willing to leave mediocrity behind so you could walk into your opportunity.
Fight the spirit of fear
Jesus is calling you away from your situation to a new opportunity. Where you are right now is not where God is calling you to, He has more for you that what you are currently experiencing, but you have to say goodbye to this in order to say hello to that. It’s not so bad for nature, fight, or flight to hold you back, but what is holding you back is a spirit because it’s robbing you of the abundant life God has for you. It’s a spirit that won’t let you be happy, it’s a spirit that won’t let you have joy, it’s a spirit that won’t let you walk in confidence, it’s a spirit that won’t let you raise your head up and your back straight and say you are somebody, it’s a spirit that keeps you living in your past and not in your future, it’s a spirit that keeps bringing up your weakness and not telling you your strength. It is a spirit! If you could think of how much more life God has for you, and how Jesus died and shed His blood so that you can have abundant life, you will not be comfortable sitting and rocking the boat while you are thirty, rocking in your forties, rocking away your fifties and you are about to mess up your sixties. When are you going to get out of the boat and walk towards the opportunity God is calling you to? God is not finished with you yet, God has more for you but fear is holding you back!
Be God-conscious and not self-conscious
When Peter starts walking on water, he walks above what others were sinking in as long as he is God-conscious. He began to sink only when he became self-conscious. Peter started to sink but Jesus reached out His hand to grab him. You might have started to sink right now but you will not finish sinking because the God who called you is going to snatch you out of the water. Jesus told His disciples (Matthew 14:27):
- how they should feel in the storm (be of good cheer)
- who He was (it is I)
- what not to do (Fear not)
This is the kind of attitude Jesus expect you to have when you step out of the boat to walk towards your destiny. He didn’t just want you to step into the water; He wants you to be excited about it. The only thing you are supposed to ask God ever is, “Lord, is it you?” not how “how I’m I going to pay for it?” not “I don’t have the background to do it”, not “how I’m I going to get out of this situation?” If it is God, no devil in hell can stop you from walking on top of that water.
Break loose!
I know your life might be a struggle right now, the enemy has pulled you back every time you take a step forward. You are yet to do the things you want to do because something always comes along to pull you back into captivity, but you have to be determined to break loose. “What is down inside of you?” “What would you do if you have no fear?” Whatever your answer is, that is precisely what fear is robbing you from. The anointing will break the yoke while you say amen to this prayer: Father now in the name of Jesus, I rebuke every struggle, I rebuke every fear, I rebuke very bondage, and I rebuke every doubt. My struggle is over in the name of Jesus. I break loose! I break loose!! I break loose!!! in Jesus name. Amen.
Inspiration from "Fear is holding you back" - Bishop T.D. Jakes. Potter's House.
Saji Ijiyemi is a professional speaker, an author, a motivational coach, a youth mentor, and a friend. His goal is to help you discover your true potential, uncover your hidden abilities, and recover the life you've always wanted. Saji is the author of a new best-selling book "Don't Die Sitting" and he shares personal, professional and leadership development thoughts on his Plus Attitudes Blog. You can connect with him on FaceBook, follow him on Twitter, join his circle on Google Plus or email him at saji.ijiyemi@gmail.com
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