The Lord Jesus Christ walked toward his Apostles while they were amidst a storm on the sea. They were safely on a boat, Christ was not. He walked on top of the powerful waters. His Apostles were startled by the sight of a figure moving closer to them. Christ spake peace unto them by saying, ” Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Their hearts were calmed but Peter wanted more. He asked Jesus that he could be permitted to walk on the water to Him. Peter walked faithfully towards The Lord for a moment, a moment that didn’t last. He saw the waves toss and turn all around him which instilled doubt and fear into his heart and mind. The second he lost focus on his destination he sank into the stormy sea. Does this apply to our daily lives? Do we set a goal and try to achieve it with faith, diligence, and patience but seem to lose focus?
FOCUS=FAITH
I have many times sought out a worthy desire and said to myself before I begin, “there’s no way I can do this.” There are many people who doubt the human potential, most people don’t realize how grand it is. I am certain that if we look to a worthy goal and we focus we WILL achieve it. Hard work is the fuel to power our faith. and faith precedes the results, the outcome, and the miracles. If Peter kept his vision focused on the Savior he would have stayed firmly above water. If we keep our focus on the destination and not give way to the destruction, distractions, and despair we will fail. This applies to my life 100% of the time. I fix my eyes upon the Savior alongside my righteous desires so I never lose focus and let the world of waves trying to engulf me to the depths carry on while I continue.
I believe it is faith that allows us to walk upon water. I think we should let the storm continue to rage on, what we shouldn’t do is let it fetter to us and drag us to failure. You never know if the storm will be behind you pushing you forward. It’s okay to permit our doubts and fears produce a beautiful faith and power that exists within us all. Don’t lose focus!
“It is impossible to fail when you are on The Lord’s Errand.” -Elder M. Russell Ballard