The character of a man is seen, not in times of prosperity, but in times of adversity. How we respond when things do not go our way says a lot about who we are as people. This is as true spiritually as it is with the things of this world. We all have bad moments spiritually, moments when we have a lapse in faith and do something that is displeasing to God. Even Peter had moments when he was less than he should have been.
When we think of some of the mistakes made by Peter, usually his denial of Christ comes to mind first. To be sure, that was probably the worse mistake of his life. It was not, however, the only time when he misstepped. On one occasion, Peter shows us how quickly something good can go awry. Do you remember the time when Peter walked on water? (Matthew 14:22-33)
When the apostles first saw Jesus walking toward them on the water, they were terrified because they thought it was an apparition. Once they realized that it was Jesus, their fears were allayed. Peter, still being a little impulsive in nature, asked Jesus if he could come to Him on the water (Matthew 14:28). Jesus said, “come,” and Peter, in an act of faith, stepped out of the boat and began to walk to Jesus (ver. 29). Unfortunately, the ferocity of the waves distracted Peter, and, becoming afraid, he began to sink. That was a moment of crisis for Peter. How did he respond? Did he just give up, thinking that all was lost? No, he did the right thing—he cried out for the Lord’s help (ver. 30).
What do you do when things go bad? The circumstances of life can change for us very quickly. With Peter, one moment he was walking on water, and a second later, he was sinking. That is the way life goes sometimes. Peter, of course, brought this crisis upon himself. It did not have to happen. It was caused by his momentary lapse of faith, but at least he did the right thing when things took a turn for the worse, asking for the Lord’s help.
Like with Peter, many of the bad turns in our lives are brought on by ourselves. Whether they are produced by momentary lapses of faith or just bad judgment, they are self-induced. On the other hand, some calamities that we face have nothing to do with our actions or attitudes at all. There are a plurality of reasons why bad things happen to us, the question is, how do we, regardless of their source, respond? We should follow the example of Peter and turn to the Lord for help.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Too often we ignore God when we need Him the most. It is not something we set out to do. We just have a natural tendency in times of trouble to ask ourselves, “what am I going to do about this?” We must train ourselves to answer, “I am going to turn to God and ask for His help.” God is the most powerful solution we have in times of need.
When we find ourselves being beaten by the waves of life, let us not allow ourselves to sink too deeply into the sea of despair and doubt. Like Peter, let us trust God to help and cry out to the Lord. He can lift us up.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.