It was a dark and stormy night, and the disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The waves swelled around them, the wind howled, and out of this chaos a figure appeared. Thinking it was a ghost, the disciples were afraid. Jesus comforted them: “It’s me. I’m here. No need to fear.” Emboldened, Peter walked out on the water towards him. But then he noticed the raging wind, the stormy waves, and he started to panic. He took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink.
Isn’t that how life can sometimes feel? Sinking into a dark sea, crashing waves, and incessant wind all around. It’s a spiral that won’t stop, a wheel that turns with no way off. It’s clenching your fists and trying desperately to control your situation, but everything just slips through your fingers.
It’s noise and panic and busyness; it’s unyielding to-do lists, unexpected expenses, tight deadlines, unanswered text messages and the guilt when plans clash.
The solution is simple, but we often skip it: look to Jesus.
The wind was still blowing when Peter looked at Jesus. His circumstances were the same; his attention was the variable. When he looked at Jesus, he stayed afloat. When he looked at the wind, he sank.
Likewise, it’s easy to sink into a sense of overwhelm when we’re intimidated by the magnitude of our circumstances. We give them power when we give them our attention. But when we look at Jesus, and trust our situation to his control, the storm—though it may continue to rage—isn’t as scary. The overwhelming chaos detangles.
One of my favourite hymns is ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,’ written in 1918 by Helen Lemmer.
It opens with the line: “O soul, are you weary and troubled?” which many of us can relate to, but goes on to give this encouragement:
“There’s light for a look at the Saviour, and life more abundant and free!”
Whatever our circumstances, there is always enough light to look at Jesus.
Even in those paralysing, overwhelming moments, when everything feels too much, too big, and impossible to get through—look to Jesus.
Jesus didn’t leave Peter, even when he succumbed to his panic. He reached out his hand and pulled him up. “O you of little faith,” he chastised (Matthew 14:31); an encouragement that our faith need not be small. We often make the mistake of underestimating God, and overestimating our problems. The wind was fierce, and the waves were high, but Peter didn’t need to worry about them. Jesus was with him.
Jesus waits for us, even when we feel panicked or overwhelmed. He’s not angry or annoyed; he doesn’t roll his eyes at us for being dramatic or overreacting. He loves us. He’s our gentle Saviour who holds us and soothes us and whispers in our ears: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)
Jesus’ walking on water is one of the first instances in the Gospels that the disciples recognise Jesus as the Messiah. When he and Peter returned to the boat, Matthew tells us that “those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:33). They were beginning to realise that Jesus was not just a good teacher, but God incarnate. Job describes God as one who “trampled the waves of the sea,” (Job 9:8) and here came Jesus, literally walking on the waves. He proved his deity by conquering the very thing they feared.
The same is true today. Jesus comes to us, walking on the water and proving his complete sovereignty over the things that scare us.
When we go through difficult and overwhelming circumstances, we can be certain that God is with us.
Isaiah 43:2 promises: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
Our hope is secure because our God walks on water. He’s in control. He isn’t surprised by the twists and dips of our lives, but continues to reign over all his creation.
Consider the following questions to reflect on your response to feeling overwhelmed.
1) Is there anything in particular which triggers overwhelming feelings for you?
2) What is your first instinct for dealing with feeling overwhelmed? How is this/is this not effective?
3) Lift your eyes from your circumstances to look at Jesus. How does this change your feelings?
4) How does God’s sovereignty encourage you in the face of overwhelming circumstances?
5) What are some actionable steps you can take to fix your eyes on Jesus?
Photo Credit: Ashley Kate Millar
Corine loves Jesus, rocks, and books. She is a geologist by trade, and also enjoys writing a newsletter, Sunshine Theologians, where she shares what she’s learning in her faith journey. She lives in Ireland with her husband and the world's best cat.
