We are not saved to live a life of focusing on ourselves. We are saved to live lives focused on Christ. We’re given the account of Peter walking on water so that we may know what it is that causes us to fear and that we may know most of all what it is – or Who it is rather – that causes our fear to dissipate. Why is not being fearful of anything so important? We’re commanded to not fear. Being commanded, we now have the responsibility to obey.
The Lord says in John’s account of the Gospel, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Fear is the shadow of the doubt which resides in us. What then is doubt? It’s a lack of faith.
What is faith then? As Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones puts it, “faith is the refusal to panic.” Faith is refusing to panic and is the rejection of the urge to react to panic. It is the rejection of the urge to react to our circumstances and the ever-increasing degrees of trust in the knowledge of the Lord our almighty God.
So, the key to the Christian life is to keep our eyes on the Triune God. The Christian life is not about asking God to help us from sinking in the storms of life. The Christian life is about knowing God and being enamored with God’s Person.
Knowing the truth about God will propel you into freedom. “If you abide in my word, (where you can know God) you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Knowing the truth will give you the eyes of faith to see Jesus.
You can’t know God unless you’re looking at Him. So, look at Him. Look at His Word. Here are some quick points about each facet of the thrice holy God:
- God the Son lived for us the life of the Perfect Man God the Father required (Matthew 5:17).
- God the Father sustains our life, movement, and being (Acts 17:28).
- God the Spirit of the Lord indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16).
With that knowledge, how could you possibly have any sense of burdens from this life?