Barriers To Faith

A friend, guided by the advice of a doctor whom she trusted, went in for surgery. She was confident because the doctor was an experienced surgeon. When she was wheeled into the operating theatre and lay on the table surrounded by unfamiliar equipment and faces, she began to panic. Despite her initial faith in the skilled surgeon, she imagined that she would be operated on before the anesthesia kicked in. She became anxious. She struggled to have faith.

In moments of crisis, our emotions and imagination become barriers to our faith.

In Matthew 14, we encounter a parallel struggle with faith when Jesus insists His disciples cross the Sea of Galilee while He withdraws to pray.

The disciples run into a storm. After they battle the storm for over nine hours, they witness a sight – Jesus walking on the water. They succumb to panic, mistaking Jesus for a ghost until Jesus reassures them.

Peter, one of the closest disciples of Jesus, expresses a desire to walk on water too.

When Jesus bids him to come, Peter, initially full of faith, gets out of the boat and begins to walk on the sea. However, as the wind intensifies, his focus wavers, and he loses faith. Peter’s imagination and emotions take over, and he begins to sink, crying out to Jesus for rescue. Jesus then extends a helping hand to Peter, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

In today’s world, we too are prone to similar struggles of faith. Sometimes, our anxieties and emotions could get the better of our knowledge of God and His promises.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, often I imagine the worst, which leads me to fear and anxiety. In those moments, help me anchor my faith in You and Your unchanging promises. May I not be swayed by my emotions and imagination but find peace trusting in You. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.