Gregg Matte - 5 Steps to Take During a StormSample

Stay Focused

The second step is: Stay focused. What happened when Peter stepped out of the boat? He began to walk on water towards Jesus, but when he saw the strength of the wind, he became afraid, began to sink, and cried out, “Lord, save me!” 

What are you focusing on? Is your focus on Jesus? 

Like Peter, we can lose our focus and begin to sink in our relationship with Christ. At first, Peter focused on Jesus. That is all he needed to do. “Seek first His kingdom in righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” We place Jesus first by seeking Him.

When Hurricane Harvey occurred in Houston, the Spirit led me to reposition every ministry of our church for disaster relief. We no longer had a music or student ministry. Every ministry was disaster relief. It was the best decision. We put our focus on what mattered: on making a difference for Christ in our city. Later, we received a proclamation from the mayor, thanking us for our efforts and contributions as a church. This is an excellent testimony of what you can do when you focus on Jesus. 

In the book Tozer for the Christian Leader, there’s a paragraph about focusing. It says:

The important thing about a man is not where he goes when he is compelled to go, but where he goes when he is free to go where he wills. A man is absent from church on Sunday morning. Where is he? If he’s in the hospital having his appendix removed, his absence tells us nothing about him except that he is ill. But if he is out on the golf course, that tells us a lot. To go to the hospital is compulsory. To go to the golf course is voluntary. The man is free to choose, and he chooses to play instead of pray. His choice reveals what kind of man he is. Choices always do. 

Now, I am not picking on golfers. We all make choices, and they reveal our focus. If you check out of Jesus Monday through Friday to make a buck, the dollar is your Lord. If you must always be right, pride is your God. If you always want more, greed is your God. Your focus determines your ability to sink or swim in what really matters.

Through the storm, jump out, focus, and get it done.