I love reading church sign and church bulletins bloopers. One of my favorites is one that announces not only the church services, but I believe it’s also the view held by many Christians today. It says this:
Today’s Message: Jesus Walks on Water
Tonight’s Bible Study Topic: Searching for Jesus…
As Christians, we get so confused and anxious. Talk to people and it won’t take you long to see that many are not sure what where they are supposed to go, what they’re supposed to do, or even what to say. All of us want to have the right answers. We search for the right answers but instead of finding them, we find ourselves getting more and more lost. A preacher gave a sermon on what he thought was “The biggest problem with Christians today.” He said the biggest problem with Christians today is not that they don’t attend church as they should, or that they don’t read their Bibles or pray on a regular basis. He said the biggest problem Christians have today, is that they don’t have enough “Faith.” We don’t have faith that God is in control, so we try to solve the very problems that God already has the answers for. We stress ourselves out about what we’re supposed to do, instead of simply letting God lead us. We trust more in ourselves to get things done, than we do in God. And just like that bulletin said, we forget that Jesus didn’t sink when He was walking on the water, but it was the disciple, Peter, who lacked faith. And when Peter lost his faith and started sinking and felt as if he had no hope… Jesus was still right there to do the impossible! Jesus was there to hold him above the water and to lead him back to the safety of the boat. The difference between Peter, and many Christians today, is that instead of grabbing on to Jesus, we try to fight our way back to the boat. We put more faith in ourselves, than Jesus, and we try to fight a battle we cannot win in our own strength. Imagine if Peter had let go of Jesus and tried to swim back to the boat, imagine him trying to fight the waves and current. Instead of making it back to the boat, he would have become even more discouraged than he already was and would have finally been pulled under. Discouraged like so many of us have become today. What I found interesting, is that Jesus didn’t pull Peter up out of the water and say, “Wow, that was close!” He didn’t even say, “Whew, it’s a good thing you trusted me Peter!” Instead, Jesus looked right at Peter, just as he does at us today, and says, “Oh you of little faith! Why did you doubt?” Jesus is asking us the very same thing today, “Why are you afraid? Why are you worried? Don’t you understand that I am here with you, that I will protect you?” God tells us that He already has a plan for us and will lead us, if we’ll just follow him… if we’ll just put our faith in Him and TRUST Him. Trusting God isn’t something you just say or talk about. Trusting God is something you have to do. You have to trust that He’ll protect you, and lead you… you have to trust that God won’t allow you to go astray. Trusting God is letting go of your worries and letting him handle it. Trusting God is remembering that there is nothing that He can’t take care of, and nothing that He can’t fix.