Finding Stability in a Destabilizing Time
When your circumstances shift, when you feel out of control, when money isn’t there, when things are not going the way that you thought that they would, where do you turn? And what does your mind and heart feel/do?
Being destabilized makes us feel like we are not able to completely be ourselves, and that we have to figure it all out on our own. This is often where fear creeps in, peace leaks out, and things that we were never created to carry pile onto us. We can begin to feel heavy, off balance and out of alignment. It is here that fear captures our attention and leads us down a path that can all too quickly lead us to places we do not want to go.
At the Forge on June 29, Jeremy laid out a pathway of how fear destabilizes us and also how Jesus’ peaceful presence leads us into life, freedom, and healing when we are with him:
We are most filled by what we are most in the presence of. If we choose to dwell in and engage with our fears, we will become fearful. If we choose to embrace Jesus and his peaceful, non-anxious presence, we will become increasingly stable and peace-filled. We can stand courageously in the presence of fear when we stand with Jesus.
We see this in Matthew 14:22-34 through Jesus’ invitation to Peter to come out onto the water of the sea to walk to him. Jesus knew who he was, and did not fear what the storm, darkness of the night, and deep water offered. His invitation to Peter was to come to Him, to get what He offered, and to stand on top of the fears that were felt in the boat only moments before.
The disciples became fearful when they saw Jesus walking on the water. They allowed fear to dictate their reality. The chaos of the water was a place of fear for the Jewish people, so they were likely alert to the possibility of something bad that could happen.
Fearful people often watch for what could occur in negative outcomes, even if it’s unlikely to happen. Remember that fear demands our attention, offering ambiguous reasons to become uncertain which, in time, will lead us to become full of fear.
What we are most full of will always dictate how we react or respond in a situation.
Hopeful people are often able to look at things for hopeful outcomes. Peaceful people seem to have the ability to remain stable even in challenging circumstances.
When Peter stepped out of that boat at Jesus ' invitation, he did so as one who was full of peace, hope, and the supernatural belief that what Jesus was doing he could do as well. His time with Jesus had filled him with these qualities, and looking at Jesus in that moment, he saw the water as another stable place under his feet with Jesus. The act of walking on the water, though supernatural, likely felt like it could be a natural experience in that moment.
For a step, a few feet, or maybe even a series of steps, Peter walked on the water. He physically stood on top of impossibility, fear, darkness and all that would normally destabilize and take him down. He did this because he was with Jesus. It was only when Peter’s focus shifted to the possibilities that fear offered that he began to sink.
What are the destabilizing factors that take your eyes off of Jesus and cause you to sink these days? They don’t even have to be massive fears or scary outcomes. It could be something as simple as the busyness of life. It could be financial questions and wonderings that leave you spinning your tires. It could be issues at work, in marriage, parenting, aging, or a myriad of other things. Bring those fears to Jesus. Lift up your eyes off of those fears and look instead to Jesus.
Where is Jesus inviting you to follow him that is outside of what you are naturally be able to do, and requires you to step into a place of supernatural trust and obedience to him?
