Have you ever made a mistake as a parent that sets your child on an unfortunate trajectory that takes years to course-correct?
When our son, Connor, was a kindergartener he was fascinated with science. He loved learning and discovering new things. He showed a particular interest in natural sciences-how the world worked!
Being intentional and nurturing parents Kim and I wanted to encourage this inquisitive nature and thought to ourselves, “Maybe he’d like to learn about weather and storms! Let’s watch Twister with him!” (Please don’t judge us.)
From that point on, any time there was even a tinge of gray on the clouds Connor would get nervous and ask with tears welling up in his eyes, “Is there going to be a tornado?!?” And of course, living in the midwest, not a Spring season would go by without at least one tornado siren sounding in the middle of the night, putting Connor in full FREAK OUT mode, where he’d grab a blanket, pillows, and a bike helmet and bolt into the bathroom tub, praying fervently. The bike helmet was Connor’s brilliant idea, by the way…I highly recommend it!
The decision to watch Twister with our 6-year-old was not the best parenting move we’ve made, for sure, and thankfully this blog post isn’t about parenting, otherwise you could click off right now. This post is about storms. Grab your bike helmet, we’re heading in!
This morning I was reading Matthew Chapter Eight about Jesus and his disciples in a boat in the middle of the sea when a squall or “pop-up storm” came from nowhere that nearly sank the boat until Jesus intervened.
And when [Jesus] got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:23-27 (ESV)
I’ve read, written about, and taught this story dozens of times. But this morning something new struck me about this passage. Here it is.
When Facing Storms, Prayer Alone Isn’t Enough!
Ok, this one sounds wrong, possibly heretical. But hear me out. This is the thing that struck me about this story as I read it this morning. Think about it. When we have a storm, what’s the first thing we should do? Pray, of course! And that’s essentially what the disciples did. They knew who to go to! They knew what to ask for. “JESUS! SAVE US!!!”
So why did Jesus say they had such little faith?!? That’s what tripped me up this morning. The disciples did exactly what we all know to do. We go to Jesus! But, sadly they came to him with their storm in the same way we often do with ours. Their mindsets lacked faith. They were not, mentally, where they needed to be when they approached Jesus with their request.
Below are four faith-filled mindsets we must have when we face storms in our lives. With these mindsets, we can come confidently to God with our requests and have peace about the outcome of our situation!
Mindset #1 – “Jesus May Have Brought Me To This Storm!”
We often pray and believe that Jesus will bring us through the storm, but rarely does it occur to us that Jesus may be the one bringing us to the storm! This is something we don’t want to think about. Jesus loves us. He’s working everything for our good. He wouldn’t lead us into the storm. That’s the Devil’s job. And normally that’s who gets the blame for our storms. Or if you’re like me, you might even be “humble” enough to blame yourself for your storms. But like I mentioned in a previous blog My Promise My Trial, often Jesus himself is the one leading us into the storm.
If you look up a few verses from this story you’ll see that it was Jesus’ idea to cross the sea in the first place. Jesus, the one we ask to protect us from the storms led his disciples right into one, and will often do the same to us. Not because he hates us but because he loves us, wants to teach us something, and wants to demonstrate his power and presence in our lives.
When you face the storm, it can be easy to blame the Devil, other people, or even yourself. But remember, it could be Jesus that led you into this very moment in your life, and guaranteed, this storm didn’t take him by surprise.
So, unlike the disciples who prayed “SAVE US!” perhaps our prayers may need to look more like, “Jesus, what are you trying to teach me?” or “What are you trying to work out in my life so that I can be more like you?” Often, the storm isn’t about shaking you. It’s about shaping you.
Mindset #2 – “Jesus Actively Cares About My Storm.”
In Mark’s account of this story, it says that the disciples woke Jesus saying, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” They mistook Jesus’ inactivity for apathy. I know I’ve been guilty of this numerous times. I don’t see an immediate answer to prayer and I assume Jesus doesn’t care about me. Often I think that perhaps it’s because of something I’ve done wrong that has separated Jesus’ love for me. Like I’ve messed up and now I’m on my own!
Nothing can be further from the truth. Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). When praying about your storm, be quick to remember that Jesus loves you always, and cares about your situation more than you can imagine. And even though you can’t see it, he’s actively working!
Mindset #3 – “Jesus Is In This Storm With Me.”
I think this is one of the craziest things about this story. If you read the preceding verses, that very day Jesus was performing countless miracles and wonders (Matthew 8:14-17).
The disciples may not have yet fully known that Jesus was God’s own son, but they couldn’t escape the knowledge that God’s hand was on Jesus in a very unique way. But when the clouds rolled in and the winds kicked up, they forgot who they were with. It happens to the best of us. We get so caught up in our situation our focus turns inward and self-preservation kicks in. In times of trials and storms Jesus is with you whether you feel him or not.
Can you imagine the outcome of this story if just one of the disciples stood up and said, “Fellas! Listen! Jesus is in this boat with us. Do you really think it’s gonna sink with him in it? Let’s just trust in Jesus and keep rowing!” Perhaps the storm would have stopped then. Or perhaps they would have ridden the storm out and had an awesome story about how even when he’s asleep Jesus does miracles. Either way, I’m confident the boat would not have sunk. I’m also confident that if we keep this mindset in our storms our confidence will grow, knowing that no matter what the outcome Jesus is with us.
Mindset #4 – “Jesus Knows More About My Storm Than I Do.”
Have you ever been in a tough situation in your area of expertise? Perhaps where you work, something goes south and you know full well that there’s no way to fix it because you’re the expert and you have no clue!
This is the situation the disciples were in. At least four of them were fishermen and were well versed in sailing and navigating troubled waters. When they told Jesus “We are going to drown!” they had a lifetime of expertise to back up that statement. They may have even thought to themselves, Jesus is a carpenter. He can’t comprehend the danger we’re in.
Sadly I think we can be guilty of this too. We are so familiar with the details of our situation that, though we wouldn’t admit it, we feel we know more about it than Jesus himself, and when we pray it shows. We pray for exact outcomes. We pray as if God doesn’t answer in a specific way, all is lost.
I’m not sure what the disciples expected of Jesus, but I do know yelling at the weather was not on the short-list of solutions, as evidenced by their response in verse 41, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?”
When you pray about your situation having a mindset that you don’t have the eternal perspective is crucial. The truth is, though you may know a lot about your situation, there is a God who sees all things from beginning to end who can fix your situation and loves to do it in unexpected ways that will amaze and baffle us!
Faith and Fear Cannot Coexist!
I’ve heard life summed up in this way several times. Right now you are in one of three camps. You’re either currently in a storm, just getting out of one, or about to go into one. Life-giving words aren’t they? None of these camps sound great, but that’s often how life works. In fact, I get most nervous when things seem to be going pretty well. Things are quiet…a little too quiet.
Though storms in life are unavoidable and often uncontrollable, our mindset during the storms is our choice. Jesus didn’t rebuke his disciples because they were in a storm, or that they came to him for help. Jesus’ main concern was their fear (“Why were you afraid?”). Fear blinded them to what they knew about Jesus and robbed them of their faith in Jesus.
When facing storms fear is an easy option, it takes little effort to get there. Faith, on the other hand, can be harder to bolster. Being intentional about your mindset during the storm can make all the difference, not just in the situation itself, but in your personal and spiritual growth and your confidence in God! You may see a miracle in your storm, you may have to ride out the storm, or you may even suffer some loss, but you can be confident that God’s best for you happened in that storm.
I pray you found this encouraging, and if you did I’d love to hear how it has helped you, or how I can pray for you.
Blessings,
Caleb
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to buy Caleb a cup of coffee.