How to remain super cool when the world around you seems to drown?
You are driving a car down the hill, and suddenly you find that the vehicle lost the brake control and the vehicle is accelerating at high speed. What would you do?
Almost a similar situation happened when the disciples were sailing in a boat.
After a hectic day of ministry, Jesus goes to the other side of the lake with his disciples in a boat. As they were sailing to the other side of the shore, a strong wind came upon the lake, and the boat was filled with water. Jesus was sleeping in the boat.
How is it possible to continue sleeping when the boat was in danger? How is it that Jesus could sleep peacefully at the back of the ship when all his disciples were struggling to take control of the boat? How is it possible to sleep, when waters were splashing on to the boat from the raging waves? How did Jesus remain super cool when the world around him seems to drown?
Here goes the Bible passage.
That evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Let’s go across the lake.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was. There were also other boats with them. A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of water. Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are drowning!” Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm. Jesus said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The followers were very afraid and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4: 35-41 NCV)
We can learn some exciting ways of Jesus on how he responded in this situation.
Note down the actions of Jesus from this passage.
- Jesus was sleeping
- When Jesus woke up and commanded the winds and waves to be calm
- Jesus then addresses the disciples on their lack of faith.
He used very few words, “Quiet! Be still”. Three words!
How much time would have been taken to calm the situation? Hardly 5-10 seconds?
Jesus used limited time and little words and got a powerful result!
And what about the disciples. Let’s note their actions.
- They were struggling to keep the boat from sinking.
- Even though some of them were fishermen, they couldn’t control the boat with all their skills and experience.
- Finally, they decided to wake Jesus up from sleep.
- They were blaming Jesus for not caring for them. “Teacher, don’t you care that we are drowning.”
They seemed to take a lot of time. They seem to worry and struggle a lot. The effort of twelve people yet nothing worked out. They even blamed Jesus for not caring! Finally, when they witnessed how Jesus managed the situation by taking a bold step of faith, they asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” They were at awe!
Haven’t we been in the same place?
When things go beyond control, we panic, we struggle, try out everything we know, seek help from mere human beings who can’t do anything about the situation and blame God and everybody around us, and when nothing works out, we seek God’s help!
And when God in His mercy intervenes and helps us, we are at awe. Instead of learning to trust in God, we move on, repeating the same mistake of not trusting in God and trying to keep things under our control with our strength.
Look at what Jesus asked His disciples:
“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Jesus expected them to handle the situation by not fearing and by having faith.
When you go through storms in life, it is not to drown you but to train you on how to handle situations boldly by trusting in God. Yes, Jesus expects you to have faith and not panic. He was indeed a good Teacher of life. Sometimes, you may find silence from the Teacher. He is just waiting for you to take that step of faith.
Let us make our Teacher proud by responding to our life situations in faith.
How was Jesus able to sleep and be super cool even when the boat was about to drown? It was because Jesus had faith in the living God. Jesus was not afraid of the seas or the storm. Why would Jesus be frightened of the waters which He Himself had created!
Even when things are in turmoil remain cool trusting in God.
Being the child of God, why should we fear? Our daddy made the whole world. He is in charge of the entire universe. Therefore do not worry! Take courage. Have faith in the living God who is with you.