Scripture reading for today: Matthew 8-9; Psalm 90
Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
The disciples were amazed, “Who is this man?” they asked, “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27 NLT
We have been looking at the principles of powerlessness and unmanageability for two weeks in this devotional series.
Powerless: It’s a tough concept, but there’s no need to proceed until admission is made – I do not have the power to live life well; my life is not working for me. For those who come into this study as believers, take this one step further – I do not have the power to live life as God intends. (Don’t get hung up here if you’re not a believer; all of us are in different places in our journey of faith. But this is a spiritual program, and for those who do believe, it’s time to get real and acknowledge that our lives truly are not congruent with God’s will for us.) At the heart of powerlessness is the acknowledgement that we cannot stop doing whatever we’re doing that is leading to unmanageability; nor can we consistently maintain a commitment to choices that are positive, healing and healthy – in keeping with the deepest desires of our heart. When all our strategies to control ourselves and others stop working, we’re ready to admit that We are powerless. [1]
I woke up this morning with a longer list of things to do than time to do them. I found myself squirming and agitated before I even had the sunrise to keep me company. My shoulder is a little sore from an overly exuberant workout last week, and my heels needed an extra stretch this morning before they’d agree to accompany my feet downstairs. Aging isn’t for sissies. That said, one of the benefits of aging is the ability to laugh at oneself; and before too long, I was chuckling.
I knew I was trudging downstairs to hot coffee and morning devotions–focusing on powerlessness! God had worked during the night to prepare my mind to receive His message of hope. I was feeling powerless before I was fully awake. This, I thought to myself, is going to be an awesome day.
So I turned to my readings in Matthew and was soon immersed in the story of Jesus and his disciples. While crossing the lake, a sudden storm threatens the safety of the disciples, who believe they are on the verge of capsizing. If you’ve ever been in a boat during a storm, you get the picture. It is a helpless feeling to be in the middle of a lot of water, knowing there is nothing you can do but hold on for the ride.
This is exactly the perspective we need to grasp and experience in our daily living. We have some choices and many opportunities to make responsible decisions, but we are powerless over many, many aspects of our lives. We’ve spent a long time trying to figure out how to build boats that won’t sink, to outfit ourselves with life preservers that won’t fail, to make pets out of sharks and other scary sea creatures, and in general–to figure out how to avoid pain. But the bottom line is this: we cannot control our own destinies. We are powerless over many factors that can change our lives in an instant.
But there is one who does have the power; his name is Jesus. He hears our voice and responds to our cries for help. I love the New Living Translation, which states that “Jesus responded” to the cries of his friends; “He rebuked” the wind and waves. Sometimes I fear that God will rebuke me instead of the storms in my life. If I may be brutally honest, sometimes I forget the true character of God and falsely believe that God himself is responsible for my fear-inducing circumstances. Thankfully, we have God’s word to remind us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear…” (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT). Today, I pray that you will focus on God’s power and His character. May you see His hand, and recognize His response when you cry out to Him.
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. Proverbs 28:26 NIV
[1] The Christ-Centered 12 Step Study Guide – Step 1, a NorthStar Community publication, copyright pending 2005, p.9.