When he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Matthew 14:30
I’ve done a lot of stupid things, but a few of them really stand out. We once had a broken boatlift, which I decided to fix, alone, while it was still in the water. Grabbing my tools, I took a deep breath and plunged under water to knock out a pin that needed to be removed. It was one of those “What did you think would happen?” moments, as the lift mechanism collapsed on my legs, trapping me under water. I could twist and contort just enough to get only my mouth above water. Then, I did what any sane person would do. I screamed desperately for help.
This is somewhat similar to the story of Peter walking on the water in today’s passage. In the story, Peter practiced faith, keeping his eyes on Christ and making his feet follow. When he turned his focus to the distractions of the world however, he sank, being consumed by the waves. In very real danger or drowning, Peter did what I did. He cried out for help. Lord save me!
We’re all going to struggle with overwhelming trials in this life. Some of us have caused our own disasters and some of us have befallen disaster through no fault of our own. Either way, we all eventually meet with the overwhelming wind and waves of life. The storm is too much, and the sea is too deep. We cannot do this alone and we’re going under.
It’s at this point that we must turn desperately to God. It’s often only in the disaster that we learn what faith actually is. It was only in the devastating consequences of my addiction that I truly learned to rely on God. I’d previously asked him for help, but it was only when losing everything that I became desperate enough to actually follow, changing my behavior.
In our need, we must reach for God with the desperation of a drowning man. We must realize our reality, that nothing matters more than following him. At that moment when in danger of drowning, both Peter and I would have given anything. So often, we go to God asking for help, not really willing to change much. When in the struggle, we must turn desperately to God, doing whatever it takes to follow him.
Just to finish the boatlift story: My wife heard my cry for help, ran down to the water, jumped in, and played the hero, saving me from my own stupidity. I’m not allowed to work on boatlifts anymore.