If You Don’t Get Out of the Boat, You’ll Never Walk on Water

Encouragement from someone who once would have stayed safely inside the boat

I love the story of Jesus walking on the water — and Peter walking right along with Him. You can find it in three Gospels — Matthew, Mark, and John. I’m not sure why Luke didn’t include it in his Gospel, but it’s kind of a big deal in the other three.

The thing I’ve always loved most about it is the way Peter just jumped out of the boat when Jesus called to him. But then he started to sink as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus.

In the past, I’ve always focused on Peter in studying this story. I could identify with him so much.

But today, as I was reading and studying Mark Batterson’s book, Draw the Circle (where the title of this story comes from), I realized something.

I can relate just as much to those guys who stayed on the boat.

How many guys got on the boat, and how many guys got off?

The disciples had just finished watching Jesus perform the miracle with the loaves and fishes. Then, He (immediately, according to Matthew 14:22 and Mark 6:45) sent them on across the lake in a boat without Him.

All of them.

There were twelve guys on that boat who had walked closely with Jesus for a while and had just seen Him perform a miracle. Yet, all of them were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. They thought He was a ghost. Every single Gospel account of this story mentions their fear. But only one — the Gospel of Matthew — recounts the single evidence of faith in this situation.

Only one of the disciples was able to muster up enough courage to step out of the boat.

Peter got out of the boat; the others stayed inside. Matthew, the guy writing writing this account, was one of them. John, the disciple who didn’t mention this incident at all in his Gospel, was another. This account is also conspicuously absent from Mark’s account (Mark was basically Peter’s secretary).

John and Peter didn’t remember (or didn’t want to remember) this incident. Were they embarrassed by their lack of and/or struggle with faith?

Maybe.

Did they regret not having more faith?

Probably.

I can relate to that regret.

That time I stayed on the “boat”

Eighteen years ago, I went on a mission trip to Mexico City. We were there for about a week, and during that time we took a couple of days out to visit some tourist attractions, one of those being the ancient city of Teotihuacán.

I don’t remember how many of us were in the group. There might have been 10; there might have been 12 — the same as the number of Jesus’ disciples.

But I do know one thing for certain — everyone in that group except me dared to jump out of the “boat.” They climbed up the 247 steep steps while one lone person (that would be me) stood in the Ciudadela and watched.

To this day, I regret not at least trying to climb the pyramid with them. They all came back exhausted, yet radiant, from experiencing the power and grandeur of God’s creation and His presence in a brand new way.

Why didn’t I go with them?

I was afraid.

I was focused on my own limitations. I thought I couldn’t make it to the top. I was afraid that, even if I did make it to the top, I would somehow slip and fall down the pyramid, even though there was a rope I could hold on to as I descended the steps. I was afraid of looking foolish.

I missed the boat by not getting out of the “boat.”

Did those other 11 disciples have the same fears?

Did those guys look at the waves around them (as I gazed at that pyramid in front of me) and think only about their own physical limitations? Did those thoughts, or those limitations, keep them glued inside the boat? Did they worry that they would look foolish — or crazy — jumping out of the boat to get to Jesus?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

At least one of the 11 (I’m thinking, specifically, of Judas here) didn’t even have anywhere near the same measure of faith as Peter. It probably wouldn’t even have occurred to him to get out of the boat and go toward Jesus.

But what about the others? Didn’t they WANT to get out of the boat — especially after they saw Peter walking on the water with Jesus?

Did they think about that event and how they missed out by staying in the boat for years and decades afterwards, like I think about NOT climbing the Sun Pyramid?

Maybe Matthew did, and that’s what compelled him to write about the incident years later.

I’m not that inhibited anymore

I first wrote about that time I didn’t climb the Sun Pyramid a few years after the event happened. At that time, I prayed that God would make me bolder and more reliant on Him and His power at work within me — that He would enable me to live a life of faith instead of fear.

I’m happy to say that now, almost 15 years later, that’s exactly what He is doing.

I’ve never been back to Mexico City. I’ve not scaled any huge ancient monuments. But I have learned to step out of “the boat” when I recognize Jesus coming toward me, and I hear Him calling to me. I’m learning to walk a life of faith and dependence on Him that I never would have thought possible when I was 24.

I never would have wanted this when I was 24.

This life of faith is not always comfortable. It’s not always fun.

But it’s always an adventure.

The 10 disciples who stayed in that boat learned that too, I think. The Holy Spirit sent them all on a mission for Him. They spread the Good News. They started new churches. Some of them were imprisoned and/or tortured. Some of them died for their faith.

The only way they could have endured all that was if God strengthened them and their faith — and I believe He did.

Maybe, sometimes, we need to sit back in the boat, paralyzed by our fear, and watch others step out in faith, so that we can feel the lack of missing out on those beautiful God moments.

Pain motivates change.

I look back on that day and know I’m not where I was. I’m not where I could be. I still struggle with fear sometimes. But I’m not where I was.

I felt the pain of regret, and it changed me.

And it can change you too.

Is there something in your life that you regret? Was there something you didn’t do, even though you felt God calling you to do it, because you were afraid? Was there something you did, even though you knew God didn’t want you to do it?

Call out to Him. Talk to Him about it. Ask for forgiveness if you did something wrong, and know that He will give it to you.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, NASB)

Then get ready for Him to take you somewhere new on this adventure we call life.

Get ready to jump out of the boat!

This story is published in Koinonia — stories by Christians to encourage, entertain, and empower you in your faith, food, fitness, family, and fun.

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