Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14: 26-27)
Jesus didn’t play it safe, and He didn’t seclude His closest friends within a protective bubble. “Follow me” includes the probability of risk and sacrifice. Faith doesn’t mean the absence of fear, and fear doesn’t mean we’re on the wrong path.
“Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.”
Courage is the willingness to face fear and move forward. Jesus wasn’t telling them they shouldn’t feel fear. He’s telling them not to allow the fear to control them, that they won’t have to face their fear in isolation. “I am” reminds them that they’re not alone.
(Rich) A dream is the God-inspired desire to share your unique gifts and passions to serve and make a difference in the world.
God-inspired dreams require courage. Dreams are God’s invitation to step out of the boat and imagine something bigger than ourselves and our capabilities.
If you’re not afraid of falling, if there’s no risk of a skinned knee or a wounded heart, perhaps your vision isn’t big enough. Perhaps you’re limiting God and His inspiration to your safe little comfort zone.
I believe dreams are God-inspired because He asks us to trust Him, to operate on faith. We can’t follow Jesus while insisting on a safety net.
If you step out in faith you’re going to visit some scary places.
“Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.”
I think He’s still saying that to us.
What are some traits God might value as much as, or perhaps more than, your personal comfort?
How might our concern with comfort get in our way?
Discuss this idea:
God wants me to dream big dreams and live a story worth telling. Stories worth telling are rarely comfortable.
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FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14 is done with our tour.
I hope you enjoyed sharing our team devotions. Here’s the last one.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And of course I hope you’ll continue to follow the RICH’S RIDE blog.
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