Fear Not - Listen Much

Jesus spoke to Peter as Peter's fear caused him to sink into the water. Seeing Jesus walking on the water Peter asked to come with Him. Jesus commanded him to come but the strong wind frightened Peter and he began to sink. Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:22-33 NRSV). How often do we cry out to come to Jesus and get faint hearted and distracted before we get there?

A reading from scripture or a meditation might inspire us. The Sunday morning sermon may cause us to say, "What a coincidence, the preacher is talking about the very thing that I need to do in my life to resolve my situation." The unfortunate thing is that many times we falter as we try to respond to the inspiration. Like the strong wind that distracted Peter, things can distract us and keep us from fulfilling the message that God sends to us through a life event.

In matters of Faith there is no such thing as being "in over your head". In the natural life there are times when we're put down or rejected because we've tried to move beyond our skills and talents. God's only requirement is that we turn to him and have faith in him. Smart or dumb, rich or poor, the fare is faith.

I often tell a childhood story about my inability to catch a baseball that was hit high in the air. I would become unfocused and nervous as I waited for the ball to come down. I just couldn't keep my eyes on the ball. By the time the ball was near to the ground my quandary was that either I would miss catching the ball altogether or it would hit me in the head. Instead of being a part of the game I was reduced to being a target.

It's so easy to take our eyes off of Jesus. During a spiritual mission in my home church community a number of years ago, Canon Bryan Greene of England told a group of us, "Don't think that salvation is in doing the busy work around the church. That will get you nowhere." He told us that there is only one thing that we should do. He said to us, "Keep your eyes on Christ!"

Many would like to blame their times of struggle on someone else. Our parents seem to be easiest to blame for our problems, however; in Ezekiel 18:1-4 we are told: "...The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge...this proverb shall no more be used by you... "

The Lord goes on to say, "Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine; it is only the person who sins that shall die". It is comforting to know that God does not hold us responsible for another's sin. Our children are not accountable for our sins and we are not accountable for their sins. This the Lord revealed to Ezekiel.

On another level, however, we must be responsible for what we are teaching and modeling for our own and future generations. We are called to share the Lord with our children and all those that we contact. We are called to live and share the life of Christ. Many times and in unique ways a child can teach the parent something about the Godly life. It is ultimately, however, the individual's responsibility to keep God's law.

Living and sharing the Gospel is what is important in life. It is what God is calling us to do. What does our lifestyle communicate to our children, to our friends and neighbors? This is where the work is. Our own personal discipline to keep our eyes on Christ is the key. It's no coincidence that disciple and discipline share the same first seven letters.

And the Good News is that through Christ's crucifixion and atonement for our sin, we can start anew. When we turn to the Lord and dedicate our lives to Him, our loving and guiding creator, Ezekiel reminds us that God does not remember our sins. Let us never turn back to our old and sinful ways.

And I pray: ‘Heavenly Father, help me to live and reflect Your essence. Give me the strength to discipline my life in You. Prepare me to be Your influence in the lives of all those I touch. Give me the courage to take a stand for You and make it my own. Give me the courage to be bold in the world for You. In the name of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I pray. AMEN’