Many people struggle with what is called irrational fears. like for example Claustrophobia – fear that the walls will close in on you, or that all the air will be sucked out of the room you are in. How do you overcome those types of fears? I am reminded of the account of Peter walking on the water in the midst of a storm. This is the same man who was terrified in a storm that he was going to die. What made the difference? The difference was He had come to understand who is really in control of the elements that he faced. He knew that if Jesus told him to come to him on this water, He would not let him drown. So he got out of the boat and walked on the water. His fear of the water was overcome by keeping his eyes on the Lord who would enable him to do what the others thought was impossible. It is also important to understand two other things in this account. One, even when you overcome your fear, when you take your eyes of the Lord you can relapse, as seen by his sinking into the water. The second, is that when that happens, we have a ready resource for strength and enablement. Peter, simply and quickly called out for the Lord to help him, and IMMEDIATELY, Jesus was there, and TOGETHER they went back to the boat. Remember, The Lord will never leave you or forsake you, and all you need to do is keep your mind focused on the one who is in control of all things. It is a learning process, and we are never too old to learn 🙂
