Why Stay in the Boat When You Can Walk on the Water?
Finding the courage to step out of your comfort zone and trust God's calling, even when the storm is still raging.
Why Stay in the Boat When You Can Walk on the Water?
There comes a point in life when staying where you are feels safer than stepping into where you're being called to go.
You know the place.
It's familiar. Predictable. Comfortable.
You may not love everything about it, but at least you know what to expect.
I call that place the boat.
And sometimes, the greatest act of faith isn't asking God to make the storm disappear. It's having the courage to step out of the boat while the storm is still raging.
I've had to get out of the boat many times in my life. And I didn't always step out confidently.
Sometimes I was shaking. Sometimes I was afraid. Sometimes I felt completely paralyzed because I didn't have the answers I thought I needed before I could move forward.
But I've learned something along the way:
You don't have to know everything to take the next step. You have to trust the One who knows where the next step will lead.
When Faith Requires You to Move
In Matthew 14, we find the disciples in a boat when a storm begins to rise. The wind is against them, and the waves are creating chaos around them.
Then they see Jesus walking on the water.
Peter says, "Lord, if it's You, tell me to come to You on the water."
Jesus responds with one word:
"Come."
Peter gets out of the boat.
Think about the courage that required. The water wasn't calm. The storm hadn't stopped. Peter didn't have a five-step plan. He simply stepped out because Jesus called him.
For a moment, Peter walked on water. But then he shifted his focus. He looked at the wind. He looked at the waves. He became afraid. And he began to sink.
There's a powerful lesson in that story for anyone pursuing something bigger than what feels comfortable.
Where you place your focus matters.
When we focus entirely on the obstacles, we can become overwhelmed by what we're facing. But when we remember who called us forward, we can find the courage to keep moving.
I've Had My Own "Get Out of the Boat" Moments
I've experienced seasons when getting out of the boat was not a metaphor. It was survival.
There was a time when I went into the hospital for two major procedures. I expected it to be a straightforward process: have the procedures, recover, and eventually go home.
But things didn't go according to plan.
I experienced several complications. My kidneys began to fail. I developed blood clots in my lungs. My legs became weak, and I couldn't walk. I developed infection after infection.
A hospital stay that I thought would be relatively short became approximately four weeks. I had to wear a bag while my body went through the bleeding and healing process. And after I finally went home, I had to return to the hospital because another infection developed.
At the same time, I was working for a reputable hospital. Because of the health complications and everything my body was going through, I eventually lost my job.
There were plenty of opportunities during that season for fear to take over. I didn't know how everything was going to work out. I didn't know what my future would look like. I couldn't see the complete picture.
And that's where my faith had to become more than something I talked about. I had to live it.
Walking by Faith When You Can't See the Whole Picture
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7:
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
That's a powerful verse when you're standing in uncertainty because sometimes we want God to show us the entire road before we're willing to take the first step.
We want the business plan to be complete. We want the finances to be in place. We want to know the outcome. We want to know who will support us. We want to know whether we're going to succeed. We want guarantees.
But faith doesn't always provide guarantees. Sometimes faith provides enough courage for the next step.
I've had to learn that I don't need to know how everything will unfold. I need to trust God with what I cannot see while being faithful with what I can do today.
I Had to Get Out of the Boat Again
I had to get out of the boat when I went through a divorce after nine years of marriage. Those nine years were not easy. Starting over wasn't easy either.
I had to get out of the boat when I was criticized and talked about. I had to get out of the boat when people I considered family and friends chose to betray me. I had to get out of the boat when rejection made me question my value. I had to get out of the boat when I felt like I wasn't enough.
And perhaps you've been there, too.
Maybe your boat is a career that no longer fulfills you. Maybe it's a relationship that you've outgrown. Maybe it's the fear of starting over. Maybe you've been afraid to pursue the business idea you've carried for years. Maybe God has placed a dream in your heart, but you've talked yourself out of it because the circumstances don't look right. Maybe you're waiting for everything to make sense before you move.
I've learned that sometimes clarity comes after obedience, not before it.
Don't Let the Storm Make the Decision for You
There will always be reasons not to move. There will always be something you could point to and say, "This isn't the right time." There will always be someone who doesn't understand your vision.
There will be critics. There will be setbacks. There will be disappointments. There will be unexpected storms.
But the presence of opposition doesn't necessarily mean you're on the wrong path. Sometimes opposition is simply part of the journey.
The key is learning to distinguish between a genuine warning and fear trying to keep you from moving forward. That's why I return to Scripture.
Joshua 1:9 says:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
That verse has carried me through some difficult places.
Wherever you go. Those words matter. Because if God is with you wherever you go, then you don't have to allow fear to determine where you stop.
Your Past Does Not Get to Decide Your Future
One of the greatest mistakes we can make is allowing what happened yesterday to convince us that tomorrow cannot be different.
I've experienced things that could have caused me to become bitter, withdrawn, fearful, or stuck. But I had a decision to make. Would I allow what happened to me to become the definition of me? Or would I allow God to use those experiences to develop me? There is a difference.
Your divorce may be part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the end of your story. Losing your job may be part of your story, but it doesn't determine your worth. Betrayal may have wounded you, but it doesn't mean you can never trust again. Failure may have taught you something, but it doesn't mean you are a failure. Rejection may have hurt you, but it doesn't mean you are rejected by God.
And the fact that something didn't work out the way you expected doesn't mean your life isn't working out. Sometimes the path simply looks different from the one you imagined.
What Has God Placed in Your Heart?
This is the question I want you to ask yourself:
What have I been afraid to pursue because I don't know how it's going to work out?
Maybe it's a business. Maybe it's a book. Maybe it's a ministry. Maybe it's a new career. Maybe it's going back to school. Maybe it's becoming a leader. Maybe it's creating something you've been talking yourself out of for years. Maybe it's rebuilding your life after a difficult season.
Whatever it is, don't confuse uncertainty with impossibility.
You may not have everything you need today. But that doesn't mean you won't have what you need when the time comes. You may not see the entire path. But you can take the next step. You may feel afraid. Take the step anyway.
Because courage doesn't mean you're never afraid. Courage means fear doesn't get to make the final decision.
Keep Your Eyes on the One Who Called You
Peter didn't begin sinking because the water suddenly became more dangerous. He began sinking when his attention shifted from Jesus to the storm.
That's something I remind myself of often. When circumstances become overwhelming, I have to be intentional about where I place my attention. Because whatever we constantly focus on becomes bigger in our minds.
If I focus only on the problem, the problem can begin to feel impossible. If I focus only on what I don't have, I can forget what I do have. If I focus only on who walked away, I can forget who stayed. If I focus only on the storm, I can forget that God is still present.
So I keep looking up.
I remind myself that God is still God when my circumstances don't make sense. He is still faithful when the answer hasn't arrived. He is still with me when I don't understand the process. And He is still working even when I cannot see what He's doing.
You Don't Have to Have All the Answers
If there's one thing I would tell the woman standing at the edge of her boat today, it's this:
Stop waiting until you have every answer.
You probably won't. I didn't.
There were moments when I was walking forward with questions. There were moments when I was moving forward with tears in my eyes. There were moments when I was rebuilding while still healing. There were moments when I was afraid and had to move anyway.
But I kept moving. And that's what faith has taught me.
Faith isn't pretending that the storm doesn't exist. Faith is acknowledging the storm while believing that the storm doesn't have the final authority over your life.
Philippians 4:13 reminds us:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
That doesn't mean everything will be easy. It means we don't have to face difficult things in our own strength.
So, Why Stay in the Boat?
Why stay in the boat when you've been called to walk on the water? Why allow fear to keep you from pursuing the purpose God has placed in your heart? Why let your past convince you that you aren't capable of building a different future? Why allow other people's opinions to become louder than God's voice? Why keep shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable?
At some point, you have to decide that you're willing to trust God beyond what you can see. You have to decide that your fear will not be the author of your future. You have to decide that the storm may be real, but so is your faith.
And sometimes, you simply have to step out. Not because you know exactly what will happen, but because you trust the One who does.
You've Got This—and He's Got You
I've had many boats in my life. Some I left willingly. Some circumstances pushed me out. Some I had to leave because God was calling me into something greater.
But every time I stepped into unfamiliar territory, I learned something new about myself and something deeper about God.
I learned that I am stronger than I thought. I learned that setbacks don't have to become permanent destinations. I learned that starting over doesn't mean starting from nothing. I learned that fear can be present without being in control. And most importantly, I learned that I am never walking alone.
So if you're standing at the edge of your boat today, I want to encourage you:
Get out.
- Pursue the thing God has placed in your heart.
- Take the class.
- Start the business.
- Write the book.
- Apply for the position.
- Launch the idea.
- Leave the environment that is no longer healthy for you.
- Begin again.
- Heal.
- Grow.
- Lead.
- Build.
- Dream again.
And when the storm comes—and it will—don't let the storm convince you that you made the wrong decision simply because the journey became difficult.
Keep walking. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep trusting God. Keep moving forward.
Because you may not know what is waiting on the other side of the water, but you can trust the One who is already there.
You've got this. And He's got you.
So come on. It's time to get out of the boat. You were never created to spend your entire life sitting in a place simply because it feels safe. There is more ahead. And sometimes, you have to be willing to step into the water to discover just how far your faith can take you.
Walk by faith.
Don't be afraid.
Keep looking up.
And keep moving toward everything God has placed in your heart.
Because one day, after all the storms, all the uncertainty, all the tears, all the rebuilding, and all the steps of faith, I pray we can each hear those words:
"Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Bulinda Wright
KeepLooking Up with B. Wright-Jones, LLC
Life and Purpose Coach
Speaker, Podcast Host
Author, Event Planner
