HOW NOT TO WALK ON WATER
I have never walked on water, and that's fine with me.
I sailed my catamaran 50,000 miles around the world, and that's as close as I will ever come to actually walking on water.
If you want to walk on water, you must do three things:
1. Get out of the boat
2. Ignore the wind and seas
3. Ask for help if you start sinking.
Everything that I know about walking on water, I learned from Peter and Jesus.
Peter did an outstanding job of teaching me how not to walk on water, and Jesus taught me to trust in God. He reminded me that it's never over until God says it's over.
Jesus had been teaching the crowds along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and when he was done, he sent the crowds away. He told his disciples to get in the boat and sail to the other side of the lake. This is the story as it appears in the Bible.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 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. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Walking on water is not for the faint of heart, and there are no guarantees when you step out of the boat. Nevertheless, this short story has valuable lessons that you need to learn.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO WALK ON WATER, YOU MUST GET OUT OF THE BOAT
If you are going to walk on water, you must get out of the boat.
The boat is your comfort zone. As long as you are in your boat, you know that you will never drown. Unfortunately, if you stay in the boat you will never walk on water.
If you want to make your life into an unforgetable adventure, you have to get out of the boat, because that is where adventure happens.
I had to get out of the boat when I decided to become an eye surgeon.
I had to get out of the boat when I decided to sail around the world on a small catamaran.
I had to get out of the boat when I decided to create the Positive Thinking Network that is changing the world one person at a time.
Until you get out of the boat, there is zero chance for you to walk on water.
It required eleven years to sail around the world on our catamaran, Exit Only. We visited hundreds of ports during those eleven years, and in every port we discovered dozens of yachts that spent their entire lives tied to the dock. They never went anywhere. They never shed their docklines and headed out to sea. These yachts were designed for the sea, but they remained perpetually in safe harbor.
Owners spent their time and money preparing for an adventure that never would happen. Preparation and planning were their specialty, but sailing offshore was not for them. They had contingency plans in abundance, and spare parts for every system on board, but they could not bring themselves to drop the docklines and set sail.
If you are going to sail around the world, you must drop the docklines and point your bow out to sea.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO WALK ON WATER, YOU MUST IGNORE THE FIERCE WIND AND HIGH SEAS
During our eleven year sailing voyage, we experienced several storms at sea. In all those years, I can't say that I was ever frightened. There were times I was concerned and tired of taking a beating, but I didn't spend my time looking at the wind and high seas. That's the formula for panic. Instead, I focused my mind and energy on tending to my yacht.
When Peter tried to walk on water, he made the mistake of looking at the wind and seas, and he became afraid. When fear took over, he started to sink beneath the waves.
The lesson is clear. If you want to walk on water, you must ignore the wind and waves. The instant you focus on wind and seas, fear springs up in your heart and you start to sink.
The formula for failure is easy. All you need to do is focus on everything that can go wrong. It won't be long before fear springs up, and you sink beneath waves of discouragement and despair.
When you are walking on water, focus is everything. If you get your focus right, you will not sink. If you get your focus wrong, it won't be long before you sink beneath the waves.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO WALK ON WATER, YOU MUST ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU START TO SINK
When Peter started to sink, he asked for help, and Jesus rescued him.
Walking on water usually requires help from other people. Before you get out of the boat, you should know who can help you if you get in trouble. There is no shame in getting help from your friends. It's almost certain you will require help in rough spots that are bound to occur.
In my work as an eye surgeon, I have had to ask for help from my friends on many occasions. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of intelligence. Not asking for help is the recipe for failure and frustration.
IT'S NEVER OVER UNTIL GOD SAYS IT'S OVER
After Jesus rescued Peter from drowning, he said, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Jesus was not rebuking Peter for a lack of faith. He was simply asking why he doubted? Whey did he focus on fear rather than faith?
Peter and Jesus looked at the storm in entirely different ways.
Peter regarded it as a threat that might take his life. Peter focused on the storm.
Jesus knew that he did not come to planet earth to perish in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus focused on his destiny, and as far as Jesus was concerned, death by drowning in the Sea of Galilee was not a possibility.
Jesus knew it was never over until God said it was over, and the Sea of Galilee had no power over him.
Peter did not share that same conviction, and that's why he focused on the wind and seas. Peter's little faith was easily blown away by the fierce wind and high seas.
If Peter's trust was in God, he would have ignored the tempest and continued on his stormy stroll.
PLACE YOUR FAITH IN GOD
More dreams are destroyed by doubt and fear than than any other thing.
The challenges of life not much different than walking on stormy seas. You must ignore the tempest and send fear and doubt packing.
If you place your trust in God, the storms of life will not destroy you.
Remember, it's never over until God says it's over, and you have nothing to fear.
