Is "faith" getting out of the boat, or staying in?
It's easy to look at the guy jumping over the rail and walking out on the stormy seas and say, "Boy, does that guy have some serious faith! Wish I had faith like that." But, are we ever called to stay with the sinking ship? When every intelligent soul on the face of the planet knows this thing's goin' down and even the rats are abandoning ship, could the act of faith be in sticking with it?
Yes, there was the time when the ship was tossed in the sea and it was really scary. And Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and went out and joined him. (Matt 14:22-33) But there was also the time when the sea was rough and even the experienced fisherman were terrified and they were waking Jesus up and saying, "Hey, don't you care. We're gonna drown!" That time, Jesus didn't walk on the water or invite anyone out of the boat. He just said, "Where's your faith?" And then, "Peace. Be still." (Mat 8:23-27)
Sometimes faith is standing in the impossible place, knowing there is no hope, hoping only in God!
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Yes, I'm sure there must be a time when staying in the boat would be an act of faith when everyone else is jumping ship. But, it could also be an act of faith to step out of the boat when everyone else is staying in it, especially when the boat started going in the right direction, and veered off course, but no one will listen about the wrong direction the boat is taking. Ultimately, though, the most important factor is....did God say to stay in or to get out? Peter got out after asking Jesus and Jesus said yes, to come to Him.
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