Bypass the Freaking Out

By Allen White

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”

Matthew 8:23-27

The disciples didn’t know what they didn’t know. They knew enough about Jesus to leave everything behind and follow Him. But, they didn’t know enough to trust Him implicitly. They believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but they didn’t really understand what that meant.

As the storm began to rage, even the seasoned fishermen on board began to worry. In their heads, they knew that Jesus was the answer. In their hearts, they were freaking out.

The disciples did the right thing by turning to Jesus. They trusted Him to do something. They just weren’t sure what He would do.

Jesus, the Creator (Colossians 1:15-16), took authority over the forces of nature. Just like God had spoken the creation into existence, Jesus said just said the word. The wind and waves obeyed.

The disciples were blown away. “Who is this man?” They followed Jesus because they had never met another man like this. Then, they were astonished at His miracles, because they had never met another man like this.

The voice of fear said the disciples would perish in this storm. The voice of reason didn't disagree. The voice of faith, however, realized the Truth was asleep in the back of the boat. The disciples versus a fierce storm equaled catastrophe. But, Jesus versus the storm meant something completely different.

Now, before we look down on the disciples, think about how we handle things. We know that God can solve any problem. We know that God is greater than anything we face. We face a problem. Then, we try to solve the problem. We get frustrated and freaked out about the problem. Finally, in desperation, we cry out to God for help.

Here’s a little secret – save yourself the frustration – bypass the freaking out. When you feel the first signs of worry, turn the situation over to God (Philippians 4:6-7). The worst thing we can do is keep Jesus on reserve while we fret over our circumstance.

What are you worried about today? Anything you think about more than three times is a worry. Take a moment to give it over to God. The next time you worry about it, even if it’s three minutes from now, pray about it again. Jesus will calm the turmoil in your heart.

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