Life Of IntegritySample

"Peter's Courage"

When you were a child, you likely stood on the edge of the pool and prepared yourself to jump into the arms of someone that you trusted. You kept squatting down, ready to take that leap, but it took several times before you followed through. Or as an adult, you possibly stood on the edge of a cliff ready to jump into the cool water below. In those instances, you needed to pause long enough to gain some much-needed courage.

I imagine Peter felt that way on a much grander scale throughout his life. He had so many circumstances to take that leap of faith, but his fear and humanity got in his way. Everyone knows the most famous story of Peter stepping out of the boat, but did you realize all throughout his life he was given the opportunity to trust Christ? And even tiny circumstances led up to that one significant moment where he could decide if he was going to fully trust Jesus for protection as he stepped out of the boat in choppy waters. Even though he is looked down on for his lack of faith when he takes his eyes off Jesus for a moment, he had greater faith than any other disciple on that boat, as he knew in those first steps that he could trust that Jesus would keep him safe.

Leading up to that catalyst, he had to trust Jesus when Peter was asked to leave everything he knew: his job, his surroundings, his lifestyle, and his family to follow Jesus. That was another huge faith-building moment. What I like about Peter is his desire and hunger to truly want to be all in. Of course, the sinful human side, which can show fear and distrust, can always deter our best intentions, but continuing to keep our eyes on Christ the way Peter did in his first steps out of the boat made all the difference. He was obedient, stepping out in faith and fully responding to Jesus and His calling. Jesus called out to Peter to follow Him and be a fisher of men and He also called out to Peter to step out of the boat. Both times, Peter obeyed and responded.

Each day, we are given the opportunity to respond to Jesus. He is always calling us to Him and wants our full obedience and trust. Until we can fully embrace this, we will constantly be fighting the flesh back and forth with fear and control.

You can cultivate a heart like Peter’s where you grow in trust and confidence. Often it takes some baby steps of courage before you’re ready for something big. But, God will lovingly bring you on a path of greater courage and trust.

This week, I challenge you to ask Jesus how you can follow Him each day. If it sounds scary, then that’s where the fun begins. You get to see Him in action as He covers our inadequacies. Ask Him for courage and respond obediently to anything (small or big) He is asking you to do.