Have you ever been in a situation where fear and fear of the unknown in your life have paralyzed you into not doing the things you know God wants you to do? These situations may look like fear to make a decision and delaying that choice, the doubt that churns our stomachs and makes our palms sweaty before doing any public speaking, and the fear that silences us when it is time to speak up. These situations call that we learn to silence the voices in our minds and to focus on the One who will bring redemption, Jesus.

I may not know everything, but I do know this: God has designed our lives to be a series of moments where He calls us to walk on water. Whether it is stepping into unknown roles at work or even speaking up against injustices as we see them persist in our communities, God convicts us and places us in situations where we have no choice but to lean on Him. God does this that He can complete His great work of redemption. Like the disciples in Matthew 14, my initial reaction to seeing Jesus on water would probably be one of fear. I look at Peter in this scripture, who, instead of being “terrified” by the sight of Jesus on water, boldly asked: God is that you? (v. 27). In this verse, Peter dares not only to ask God if it is genuinely Him but also to ask God to invite him into the waters.

“Tell me to come to you on the water.” (v. 28) 

At this moment, I look at Peter’s bravery in asking God to speak to Him clearly because he needed to know before taking his next step. I am encouraged by Peter’s faith to step onto the raging waves and follow God’s directive: come. This moment reminds me of the times in my life where God has called me to walk on water. In these situations, I’ve prayed for direction and opportunity, and God delivers (as always). What happens then, is that I become paralyzed by my fear, or what some people call imposter syndrome. I fear that I am not good enough, that I am not eloquent, that I do not have enough experience, etc. God often puts us in positions where we have no choice but to choose to walk on water -- to have the courage to do the unthinkable, to be brave and do and say things that may terrify us under any other circumstances. More often than not, these decisions are presented to us to build our relationship and trust in Him. Finding our courage to take the next step requires a careful balance of being brave, but equal amounts of effort in asking God to lead us there. In this obedience to God’s promises for our lives, we learn to tap into our inner lions that allow us to be strong, bold, and courageous like Peter.

This piece would be amiss if I didn’t mention what happened after he began to walk on water. Once Peter began to walk, he became distracted by the wind, his focus shifted from Jesus, and he, unfortunately, began to sink. When we allow fear to dictate our next steps in life, we push faith away, we push God away, and ultimately let fear control the discourse of our destinies. In doing so, fear directs us to spaces God never meant for us to occupy. This misdirection may look like us wrestling with moving forward with job offers, making a difficult physical move (relocation), and even the difficult conversations that we avoid, which I know God purposely places there for a reason.

I see this often with people (like myself) who have been or are afraid and stuck in knowing how to speak up in the instances God calls us to do so. God is a storyteller, and He wants us to tell HIS story with our lives. He has sown seeds into every moment of our journeys so that we are courageous and bold enough to speak our truth with zeal and transparency. It is essential to acknowledge the power of our testimonies, the power of being transparent with the people He has put in our lives about where He’s brought redemption in our stories, and, more importantly, where He is STILL working.

Sometimes we hide under what I like to call “testimonial blankets.” A testimonial blanket is the perceived idea that we are not worthy of taking center stage in the works God calls us to because we aren’t perfect yet. We do this because we believe our stories don’t sound good enough, because they are not flashy enough, or because they may be too explicit for some ears. What ultimately ends up happening is that we don’t share them. In not sharing our stories, we rob others from the opportunity to be equally courageous in their pursuit of God and the lives He calls us to live.

It is time to stop cowering under the cloak of “introvertedness” or any other trait that holds us back from being God’s vessel. We must learn to mirror our lives not only as containers where we allow God to pour into us, but also vessels or ships that are not afraid to travel the distance, and let others know who God is, and what He has done for us. It is time for us to come out of our testimonial blankets and to walk on water. In this moment in time, we are called to love every single one of God’s creations, to build community, and to do the work that God wants us to do. If you do not know what that looks like, I encourage you to do like Peter did and ask God, “Is that you?” 

My encouragement to you today is to take sail. Ask God if he wants you to walk on water, and when he says YES (because He will say yes), do it. Do not shrink yourself in fear. Ships at sea face some of the greatest risks. When they leave their harbor, ships risk sinking and being engulfed by raging waters. I read somewhere that “a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” You are not here to simply be a container for God’s word and the work he’s done with you. That is playing safe. It does not fit the purpose of what God is trying to do with your testimony. I encourage you to be courageous in every single aspect of your life: in your conversations with God, your loved ones, those you consider enemies; to be courageous in pursuing the convictions He places on your heart. If it looks like making a decision that will change your life, do it. Go for that job offer, move from cities that do not serve you, start that business, send that text with COURAGE and know that God has your back! We must believe that this is the kind of life that God wants us to live; one where we fully believe Him to guide each step forward when sailing and walking on seas.