Nov 12, 2017 By Gina Watts 5 min read

I’d rather be a Peter drowning than a disciple cowering. Those are the last words I left you with during our last conversation. Its funny how God typically allows me to live out my “comments” almost immediately after I communicate them. Oh that God. He has a funny sense of humor (said with rolled eyes and a smirk).

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read my last article, I shared the story of Peter and Jesus walking on the water. Often times when we discuss the story, we recall only that Jesus walked on the water and that Peter’s failed attempt to do the same proved his lack of faith. What we tend to overlook, is that Peter had great faith to step out on the water in the first place and that 11 of his friends cowered in the boat, reluctant to test their faith in Christ and committed to living in their fear (of their own inabilities).

I’ve found that water-walking can come in many forms. Water-walking moments aren’t just defined by big, powerful, over-the-top experiences. Simple moments can still be water-walking moments. They are the moments where your faith is tested and proved. And they can be just as powerful and life-changing as those big ones. Let me explain.

In my current job, I co-lead 62 staff that serve in 14 departments. In each service area, we can serve up to thousands of people in a given month. Under the umbrella of the Mercy and Justice Ministry (our branch of the Church), collectively, our departments serve more than 60,000 people annually. We actually serve more people than all of the other 13 ministries in the church combined. Because of the volume of people we serve and the fact that 80 percent of them are in some form of desperate need, our team encounters several opportunities to meet said and felt needs of those in our community.

When serving at this level, team members can become exhausted, overwhelmed, worn out, weary, and more.

Even though, our team members “get-to” share the love and message of Christ and help hurting people find and secure resources daily, they don’t always experience or realize that they did experience water-walking moments in their own lives.

Lets consider Jesus’ 12 disciples. The 12 disciples followed Jesus, served with Jesus, walked with Jesus, protected Jesus (most of them), ate with Jesus, and more. They were his friends, his confidants, his trusted leaders who worked tirelessly to share the good news of the Messiah.

They prayed with people and personally witnessed miraculous healings and outstanding, inexplicable feats (like feeding the 5000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. — Matthew 14-13-21). Yet, when traveling with Jesus in a boat and weathering a violent storm, they panicked and believed in their own fears rather than test their faith and walk with Jesus on the water. Well…not all of them. Peter called out to his friend and took a step of faith towards him, believing that Jesus would keep him safe on the rough waters. When Peter broke his “connection” with Jesus, and allowed the rocking waves, the storming sky, and the cries from his friends to break his concentration on Christ, then and only then did he begin to drown in the water.

I find that the doubt Peter and the other 11 disciples experienced is the same doubt that often creates barriers for my team to believe in water-walking for themselves. Like the disciples, they are great at creating, believing in and witnessing miracles happen for others. Unfortunately, they tend to hesitate in their faith to believe it for themselves.

Do you find that you do the same thing? Do you find it easier to believe the best for someone else and their life; but you can’t find a way to believe that God would show that same love, that same grace, that same mercy for you? Do you tend to find it easier to “make things happen” for others; but when it comes to making those things happen for yourself, you struggle with worthiness or how to get it done?

My water-walking moment for this week, came in the form of encouragement to my team and their commitment to follow thru with what they heard. I was sharing with some of them the value of water-walking and challenged them to recall the story of Peter with new eyes.

As we talked, I found that many of them struggle with believing that water-walking is possible for them and that the God who uses them to bless others is also the same God who can and does and will bless them in the same way. Most of their hesitation had to do with fear. The rest of it seemed related to worthiness.

By the end of our conversation, we experienced several epiphanies; one of which is that water-walking doesn’t have to be big to be powerful.

The example a team member gave was that she would start to change her confession about her diagnosis and believe God for healing.

Today she came into my office and shared that she is now on the lowest dosage of medicine she has ever been on in her life. We walking on water people.

As you think about how you can believe for your water-walking moment, pray this prayer with me today: Father, today I surrender my past. I surrender my need to have all the answers, and I choose to trust You. Fill me with Your peace. Fill me with Your grace and compassion as I press forward into the victory You have prepared for me. Fill my heart with confidence and faith to believe in your purpose for my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Gina Watts is a former resident of Fayette County, now living in Columbus, Ohio. She serves multiple communities as an advocate, educator, and leader. Follow Gina on Twitter @professorgmarie.