Recently I was having an in-depth discussion with Jonah about the miracles of Jesus. He is six years old, and quite possibly the most literal person I’ve ever met.
We were discussing the miracle of Jesus walking on water and Jonah kept mentioning how awesome it would be to walk on water like Peter did. And as he so duly noted, “We might need Crocs for that!”
As we discussed Peter’s miraculous jaunt, I asked Jonah why he thought Peter began to sink. I could see the wheels turning in his little head as he thought about the reason for Peter’s collapse.
“Maybe he got really scared!” Jonah exclaimed enthusiastically.
I think we can all agree that Peter was fearful as he surveyed the storms and waves surrounding him. But I also mentioned to Jonah that Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. I explained that we should always have our eyes on Jesus, no matter what we are doing. With every decision we face, we should ask what Jesus would want us to do. We discussed how Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives once we ask Him into our heart.
I think he was actually starting to understand.
Sweet Vivienne was sitting nearby. I wasn’t even sure she was listening when she piped up in her precious little voice:
“I don’t remember if I asked Jesus into my heart or into my stomach!”
sigh…
(Sometimes I wonder if anything is getting through to these little people in my house…)
Later I found myself thinking again about Peter’s fear and his focus on his circumstances. How he lost focus on Jesus, who was just feet away.
And I wondered if anything was getting through to me…
You see, yesterday I lost my mind over wrong directions and an incompetent GPS which led me to the middle of nowhere. And today I watched as Peter lost his mind over the overflowing garbage can and the dishwasher full of dirty dishes.
Why is it so easy for us to lose our minds over these little things?
And how are we supposed to get a revelation from the Lord when we overreact to inconveniences?
Here’s the truth: When we take our eyes off Jesus, we lose our way.
Much like the disciples in scripture, I don’t love storms, particularly at night. But I’m not often fearful of the weather because I trust my husband. I usually go to sleep because I know he will keep an eye on the storms and will wake me if needed.
But as I think about the spiritual storms in my own life, the difficulties we face every day, I find myself wondering if I truly trust Jesus.
Will He protect me?
Will He stay by my side and weather this storm with me?
Will He lift me up when I need encouragement?
Of course I know the answer.
Jesus.
I don’t want to take my eyes off of Jesus; instead, I want to immerse myself in His Word. I want to surround myself with other believers. And I want to keep my focus on Him because I know He loves me and wants the best for me.
What about you?
Is it difficult for you to keep your focus on Jesus? What is one thing you can do this week to keep your eyes on Him?