WHAT’S YOUR BOAT

What’s your boat? What type of question is that? What am I asking? Well, let us go to my favorite source of information to answer that question: The Bible – Matthew 14:28-33 to be exact. But before we cover that, a little context to fill the scene: Jesus had just done the impossible (shocker, I know. Cannot believe it). He has just taken five loaves of bread and two fish, blessed it, and fed five thousand MEN, not even counting the women and children (14:21)! And to make it even crazier, they collected enough left-overs to fill twelve baskets worth! I don’t know about you, but that story just dumbfounds me. Anyways, moving on. Jesus then directs his disciples to get into the boat and head to the other side while he dismisses the crowds and goes up on the mountain to pray. While they were on the boat, about the fourth watch of the night, the boat was being beaten by the wind and the waves, tossed to and fro by their power, and Jesus came walking to them and they were frightened thinking he was a ghost, but he comforted them saying that it was He. And now with our context in place, here is our story to hone in on for the question above:

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[a] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

So, my question, “What’s your boat?” is found by this passage. Let’s breakdown the scene here. You have the disciples, the storm, Jesus, and the boat. The disciples are scared out of their mind, the storm is around them, their savior was nowhere to be found in that moment of potential death. I can imagine on their little boat they had, they were clinging to it as to make sure they did not fall out and lose their lives in the storm. So, I’ll ask again, “What’s your boat?” where do you find comfort when all is falling apart around you? What is your lifeline to help you through the storm? (It should be Jesus but many times it is not) The disciples clung to the boat, what do you? Life is hard, it has its undesirable moments: illness, death, loss, pain, etc. And in those moments, where do you run? When your parent loses their job, your family member has been in a horrible accident, someone close to you gets the news of cancer, or you lose someone you love, where is your refuge, your shelter? When your personal storm hits hard and unrelenting, what is your boat?

Moving forward from that question and looking further into the story, we see Peter’s faith to ask to come to him, to grant him the ability to walk on water. So, Peter, being strong in faith, steps out of his boat, the one place where he found peace and safety, so that he could come to Jesus, the one who he knew he would be safe in. What tremendous courage that must have taken. We know that these disciples were worried about the storms that could overturn their boats because this has already happened once before. This time, however, Jesus was with them to calm the storm:

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

They were afraid of being wiped away by the storm, of perishing from it. So, bringing it back to the first passage, we can confirm they were afraid because this time they didn’t even have Jesus in the boat with them. Still, Peter had faith to get out of his boat to go to his Lord. Remarkable if you ask me. Peter had faith, faith that could move mountains (Matt. 17:20), to get out of his boat and that Jesus would keep him safe.

So, I will ask again, “What’s your boat?” what do you need to let go of when the storm comes in your life? What is it that you think is keeping you safe but ultimately keeping you from Jesus? Will you be like Peter and leave your safety and comfort to be truly safe in Jesus’ arms? Or will you be like the other disciples that were too frightened to leave their boat? I pray it is the first one.

For the Eternal

“What’s your boat?” is a question we as believers need to ask ourselves because we are called to be disciple makers. We are not just called to be faithful when we get that good grade, that job, that significant other, or that acceptance letter. We are also called when the doctor walks in and tells you have cancer, when you are hit by that drunk driver and told you may never walk again, or when someone you loved has passed. Being called a disciple is not a situational calling, but a consistent calling. When we are in the storm and when the waters are clear, we are called. Eternity in heaven could start tomorrow, or even before I post this blog, and it is imperative that we get out of our boat and do something radical for Jesus and his Kingdom. So, jump out, be uncertain, but know this: In your uncertainty, God is certain. Find your comfort and faith in the fact that Jesus is enough for every storm that comes your way.