Water Walker: Stability in the Storm

Today, it’s cool to say we’re breaking generational curses in our family. It’s the thing we all hope and aspire to do. Yet, the work required to break generational curses is….scary. The practical work of doing something nobody else in your family has done. Doing a major thing without a map, blueprint, or trusted guidance. How? How can we survive the instability of breaking new ground? How do we maintain faith in new storms? How do we receive the victory we shout and dance for? We tap into our inner Peter…and walk on water anyway.

At this point in the story of Jesus, the 5,000+ have literally just been fed. They’re all hyped up, ready to make Jesus their new king (because…food…and healing & such). Jesus sends his disciples to the other side of the sea & says He’ll catch up later. They don’t see Jesus again…until the storm shows.


The winds are raging. They are literally surrounded by water that seems to be rather upset. Thunder. Lightning. It’s a scary sight. The only thing more scary than the storm is this mysterious figure walking up to the disciple’s boat. So now they’re in a storm…and there’s a ghost. That’s it. We’re about to die. Then….He speaks.

Jesus essentially tells the disciples to calm down, because what they see as a distant figure is the same Jesus they left on land. The only one who dares to confirm this statement is Peter (makes sense…he’s known to pop off lol). Peter responds & says “Jesus, if that’s you, tell me to come out there with you!” Now….Peeetterrrr…

We bash Peter a lot about this story & his eventual (spoiler alert) slip up. Yet, I think it took courage to even ask. It surely took courage to actually step out there after Jesus said (rough translation) “It’s me. Come on!” At that point, the responsibility and attention shifts to you. Now everybody is waiting on you…to step out…on an unstable thing. A thing you can’t stand on when it’s calm. To step out in front of other people…with the potential of complete & ultimate failure….simply because Jesus said so.

I have to admit, I used to think this question/request was DUMB. I’m a lawyer, all words matter. To me, Peter didn’t use enough words. Anybody or any spirit could’ve said the words “come on.” That’s all you want? An invitation in a storm? Then, I realized that Peter’s confirmation wasn’t in the verbal response, but the action. Something in him knew that Jesus wouldn’t call him out to a place where He wouldn’t sustain him.

We’ve all had unstable places. Unsettling times. Seasons where….nothing seems to work right and nothing/nobody seems to like us. The winds of life are blowing at ridiculous speeds. The thing we stand on is shaky. Finances are wrong. Relationships, wrong. School and/or work, wrong. Yet, it’s in those moments that Jesus always calls us to Him. Simply asking us to come and stand with Him….in the middle of the storm and sea.

You don’t have to be Peter to walk on water. You walk on water every time you dare to do something you’ve never seen anybody do before. College. High school. Career choice. Financial habits. Eating habits. Anything. In order to break generational curses and change the trajectory of your family in some way, you have to walk on water. You have to step out on what you don’t really know with your eyes on the God you do know…trusting He’ll help you do something you’ve never seen.

I’ve been a water walker a few times in my life. I’ve been uncomfortable every…single…time. I’m uncomfortable right now, and to many people around me, I’ve made it to the other side. The discomfort is normal. The desire to quit and go back to where you came from is normal. You may not feel like you fit in here. You don’t. What’s stable land for them is water walking for you. However, you won’t fit in where you came from either. You’ve seen too much. You’ve learned too much. You can try and blend in back there, but internally….you’ll hate it. It makes more sense to stay out here…in the middle of the sea…because that’s where Jesus is.

To all of my fellow water walkers, I want you to know that you’ve been called to this. You aren’t out here on your own accord. You didnt wander out here, He called you out here. Never forget that the God who called you into this new place is responsible for sustaining you here. It’s a lot for you; it’s nothing for Him. He started this good work (it feels like chaos, but I promise it’s a good work). He’s faithful enough to complete it.

Eventually, the storm will subside. Eventually, you will return to the stability of land. You’ll be comfortable again. You’ll have consistency again. All is not lost. You’re just walking on water right now. It’s uncomfortable. It’s unstable. It’s unsettling. Yet, the reward is something you can’t even imagine. Keep your eyes on The One who called you out here. He empowered you to come this far, He won’t let you fail now. Keep pressing, Water Walker…one step at a time.

 Background music: Walk on Water - Mali Music

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