Set Your Sights on Jesus
As a child, I recall teachers and other influential individuals challenging me to set my sights on a goal in the future and strive for that goal. They spoke of the importance of setting the sights to remain focused and centered while progressing toward a goal. Such a mentality guards against the threat of distraction or derailment on the journey. The same concept exists within one’s spiritual journey with Christ as well. In Matthew 14, we read about the familiar story where Jesus walks on the water. Upon being noticed, Peter calls out to ask the Lord permission to walk to him on the water if it is truly the Lord. Jesus says come and Peter begins to step out on the water and proceed toward Jesus. The Bible then states, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’” (Matthew 14:30). Peter simply lost focus because his sight did not completely lock into Jesus.
First, notice that Peter became distracted by the wind. Early in our marriage, Rachel and I experienced Hurricane Ivan while living in Alabama. The interesting part about a hurricane involves the directions of the wind. At some point, the wind blows from various directions while the storm moves over an area because of the circular rotation. For Peter, the wind probably appeared to come from various directions. The wind from the front contained the fear of the unknown and failure that may exist ahead. The wind to the back could have consisted of the thoughts of Peter’s past. The moments he wished he could redo or never participate in. The memories haunted Peter attempting to leave him battered and bruised. The wind from the sides held the pressures of the world. These pressures might have been internal or external, but none the less they worked to distract Peter from the task of water walking.
As Peter recognized the wind, the distractions and worries came to the forefront of his mind and drove him to lose his sight of Jesus. Take a moment and think of your life. How often do fears of the unknown future, distractions of the world, and the haunting of the past steal our ability to stay focused with sights set on Jesus. These are the moments like Peter when sinking stops water walking.
Second, realize that Peter allowed fear to trump faith. The presence of the wind did not appear when Peter stepped on the water. Rather, the wind had already been a part of the scene. What changed is that initially the threat of the wind was overcome by faith in the Lord. Unfortunately, Peter lost sight of Jesus and lived in fear of the damage of the wind instead of the trust of the calling of the Lord. Far too often, we become distracted by the world and lose focus on Jesus. We know that he has called us and is leading us, but the fears of the world begin to dominate our lives and we live excuse filled lives instead of faith filled lives. When this occurs, sinking in life happens.
Third, see that Peter cried out for what was already available. Peter cries out for Jesus to rescue him from apparent death. Because Peter has lost his focus, he has forgotten that the Lord is right there with him. The Lord has called him to come and will not abandon him on the journey. Peter became distracted and allowed the elements of the world to cause the sinking feeling.
Each of us face the pressure of the influence of the elements of the world and can become distracted and begin to sink. We allow fear to dominate our faith and the winds of the moment to distract us. It is imperative that our sights be set to Jesus and remain on Jesus because he is never far away. He is right there with us even in the moments when we lose sight. It is always amazing to understand that when sinking begins to occur it is not because Christ has moved but because we have lost focus.
As we close, we must be encouraged because Christ does rescue us even when we lose sight. He might remind us of our struggling faith, but he will use the moment to draw us closer to him. If you are walking through difficulty set your sights to Jesus and remain focused there. The secondary things will be blocked out and Jesus will give needed guidance.
