The Focus Of Fear

The Focus of Fear

When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Matthew 14:30

PETER DID EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING—at first. He “tested the spirit”—that ghostly figure the disciples saw coming on the water—though the test put Peter in a position of considerable risk. When Jesus invited Peter to join him, Peter stepped out of the boat. Not only that, he walked on water, just like Jesus. He was entirely successful and apparently confident as long as he kept his eyes on his Master.

But that all changed when the wind and waves caught his attention. Winds and waves have a way of doing that; the storms of our lives keep positioning themselves right in front of our faces and demanding that we look at them. It becomes really difficult not to heed their demands. And when we do, we begin to sink in one way or another. That’s what happened to Peter, whose distracted focus undermined his faith when he took his eyes off Jesus. He could not maintain the discipline of gazing in faith without regard for the turmoil around him. The wind and waves did their work well.

Peter’s focus determined his experience. Ours will too. Focus is a function of faith, and when we lose one, we begin to lose the other. Sheer determination can take us only so far. The deeper issue in undoing our fear is knowing who we are and whose we are. As we’ve seen, faith thrives in a climate of love. If you know how loved you are, you don’t start interpreting wind and waves as existential threats or evidence that God is no longer on your side. You see them for what they are: distractions. They are no statement on how he is treating you, no reason for fear.

Remember that, and you’ll thrive in the midst of your storms. In those times, don’t make your dreams and vision smaller. Enlarge them. Turn your focus to the source of miraculous power and follow him. Ask him to invite you to step out on tumultuous waters. It’s an opportunity to experience his power by keeping your eyes on him.

The act of faith is more than a bare statement of belief; it is a turning to the face of the living God.