Stepping out of the boat: Walking in the Spirit

Stepping out of the boat means to me stepping out of my own will, my own way essentially.  It means total dependence on the direction of God by way of invitation, which is gut feeling by the Holy Spirit.  It takes constant discernment to decipher.  In the beginning it feels very strange, but then it becomes second nature after awhile.  This is living by the Spirit.  This is living the will of God.  That’s how we glorify him.  That’s how we transcend humanity, by clearly following the will of God, the will of the master of intelligence.  Like I asked in the last blog post, if you had available to you the constant advice of the smartest man alive wouldn’t you be in constant contact with him asking him all the time what you should do in every situation?  Of course!  This is common sense.  But you have something greater than this available to you.  You have the God of every universe who knows so much more than you could ever comprehend available to you, that to not listen to him would be utter and sheer stupidity.  But that’s the world we live in!  When you are saved, you are no longer part of the world so to speak.  Of course you still live in the world, but you in essence are no longer of the world of sin and sickness and death.  You have transcended it once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and turn your life completely over to him.  In this verse Jesus prays this prayer for his disciples:

John 17:14-16

¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Isn’t that exciting?  You no longer have to face death and sickness alone once you start listening to the great mentor, God himself.  Not only that, but death can no longer destroy you.  You will have eternal life.  Step out of the boat!  I am telling you, you will be so glad you did.  Where does this expression come from, stepping out of the boat?   It comes from the Bible when Jesus walked on water and Peter tried to do the same.  This story is kind of humorous when you look at how weak we as humans look when in comparison with Jesus.

Matthew 14:25-33

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,^[a] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³ Then those who were in the boat came and^[b] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

When you step out of the boat life becomes a meaningful adventure.  It’s like comparing a meal that’s bland and has no flavor to an exquisitely tasting gourmet meal.  I wouldn’t give that up for anything, especially because we’re not forced and it’s our own choice.  I CHOOSE to walk on water, and not live by sight.  

2 Corinthians 5:7

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight.

My sight is limited, but God’s is above, all around, all knowing sight that sees EVERYTHING.  Insight is God’s alone.  To have this gift available and not take it is not really any insult to God, because he is who he is regardless.  It is more insulting to yourself, because you are rejecting help.  It’s like choosing to be homeless even if people want to give you a place to live.  Why would you reject a warm bed and choose to sleep in a cardboard box instead?  It is a discipline at first but it becomes a habit the more you do it.  It just feels strange in the beginning, the constant checking in to how the Holy Spirit is guiding you in each decision we make each day in our lives.  The best way to begin is to pray this prayer.  “Lord, if I’m not willing to do your will CHANGE my will so I will be willing to do it.”  This is in essence giving up your own will as a human, which is a CHOICE that we make.  God will not step in and do this without your permission.  If that sounds scary to you, then you do not have an accurate concept of whom and what God really is.  He truly has your best interest in mind and knows you better than anyone on this earth could ever know you.  He created you!  If you doubt this in any way, watch this video on YouTube of God’s love letter to you from his own Word and see how you feel after.  The Holy Spirit will step in and tell you this is the absolute truth.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggGwDrxrC2k&feature=bf_prev&list=LLjzapMsxxB3hkZcDIjw2U2w

God will never overstep his boundaries and force you to do anything, even though he is most definitely able, that’s not his nature.  It’s up to you.