Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Day 17 of 21 Days of Courage


I believe that everyone has a hiding place. Everyone has a place they want to run to when they experience fear or worry or anxiety. But I think it's important to remember that...

...the greatest purposes of your life cannot be
discovered while you're hiding.

 
Peter was paralyzed by fear while he was sitting in the boat, afraid of the stormy waters that were between him and Jesus. Each of us have our own kind of "boat" that is holding us back from realizing our full potential in Christ. The boat is safe, secure, and comfortable. On the other hand, the water is rough. The waves are high. The wind is strong. There’s a storm out there. And if you get out of the boat—whatever your boat might happen to be—there’s a good chance you might sink.

But if you don’t get out of the boat, there’s a guaranteed certainty that you will never walk on the water. If you want to walk on the water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.

So let me ask you a very important question: What’s your boat? Your boat is whatever represents safety and security to you, apart from God himself.

It could be - 
  • Money
  • Relationship
  • Geographical Location
  • Job title 
You know one of the most interesting stories in Scripture is the journey of the Israelites. After 400 years of slavery God sets them free. What do they do with their freedom? They complain. They couldn’t stand the unknown. They couldn’t stand being out of the boat and being on the waves and having to trust God so they actually beg to go back. That day, the Israelites proved to all of us that there’s a difference between being set free and living free.

Want to know why some of you are stuck in your past?
Want to know why some of you are living lives of mediocrity?

You choose it. I know that may sound a little harsh, but it’s true, isn’t it?

You’ve consciously—or maybe subconsciously—made a choice that you would rather stay in the predictable patterns of your past (no matter how painful they might be) than take a risk and venture into the unknown where you have to risk failure. But when you’re hiding you might be surviving, you’re just not thriving.

I’m praying for you today as you consider stepping out of the safe and comfortable, and trusting God in new and exciting ways. 

-Pete

 

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