Life is like a journey on the sea, we’re each in our own little boats, rowing our way through the waters of time. Some days we row so strongly, confidently and faithfully, as we can see and anticipate our next destination in the far distance. But there are other days when the storms of life start raging, and the winds blow us off course. It becomes too much for us, so we give up rowing. We lie down in the boat, feeling lost at sea, overwhelmed by the storms we presently see.
I felt like this a few days ago. I threw my hands up and lay down in the boat of life, venting to God. I was telling Him that I felt like I’m lost at sea. Sometimes I can see so clearly where I’m heading, but other times life’s storms come crashing in, and I lose sight of everything. Instead of rowing forward, I find myself staring at the storm, fixating on the winds and waves, tossed by them, believing it will never end. This clouds my vision and disrupts my journey.
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. From the moment we choose to live based on only what we can see, we set ourselves up for an emotional rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. Often, our present circumstances don’t look anything like the future we hope for, which leads to distress. That’s why the bible instructs us to make our moves by faith. If we based our decisions on the stormy conditions we see, we might become paralyzed and never take a step forward.
Instead, we may run for safety and cover in the comfort of something less than our goals. We may even stop rowing and let the winds of life blow us wherever it takes us. We must let our faith stay in control, even when life is out of control. Just as the seas don’t stay calm forever, life isn’t always smooth sailing. This is why our responses need to be grounded in faith, not in the conditions around us. Don’t get lost in what you see.
Fix Your Focus
In Mathew 14:22-23, we find the story of Jesus walking on water and calling Peter to join Him. To give some backstory, Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of Him to another place by boat, but a storm started raging with strong winds and waves. In the chaos of this storm, Jesus comes walking on water towards their boat, but they were terrified and thought He was a ghost.
After speaking a word of courage into them, Peter took a step of faith on the water and began walking on it toward Jesus. In the middle of the raging storm, Peter is walking on water, with his focus on Jesus. But, when he shifts his attention to the winds and waves, fear grips him and takes over, and he starts to sink. He lost his faith focus because of the chaos around him.
Peter cried out to the Lord to save him, and you know what Jesus said after He pulled him out the water?……“You of little faith, why did you doubt” (Mathew 14:32). Peter sank because he reacted in fear to the conditions of the storm. He had a moment of doubt because he shifted his attention on the winds and waves, even though he was already walking on the water perfectly.
Faith Mindset
How often do we find ourselves sinking into doubt and fear when we focus on life’s challenges? Even though, from a bigger perspective, we have actually been progressing and growing, but in the moment, we lose sight of that. We allow stormy moments to mess with our faith, confidence and vision for our futures.
I can admit that, like Peter, I sometimes focus so much on my temporary setbacks and feelings of stagnation, that I begin to sink into doubt and fear. The conditions make me feel like I would never achieve my goals, even though, over time, I have been slowly but surely achieving them.
We need to adopt a mindset of faith that stays steady even when life is falling apart. When life is a mess, the storm is raging, people are coming against us, we are facing losses, and hurt, even then, we must find peace in God and trust in Him.
I know that’s easier said than done, after all even I panic before I lean into faith, but we must learn to make faith our steady response to life’s challenges.
How To Develop a Faith Mindset So You Don’t Get Lost by Sight
- Seek God continually – Make time for Him daily till it becomes a genuine habit, keeping your focus on His guidance.
- Arm yourself with His Word – The bible is your weapon, it’s your sword, read and study it to strengthen your faith, and use it to defend against any doubts that come your way.
- Don’t lean on your own understanding – remember your perspective and abilities are limited, God’s wisdom and power is unlimited.
- Don’t be controlled by your emotions – your emotions fluctuate, but your faith in God should remain steady.