As Faith Increases, Fear Decreases

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:23-26 NIV

The disciples followed Jesus into the boat then headed out across the lake. Suddenly a furious storm came upon them. Let’s start by acknowledging there are times when life is hard for both believers and unbelievers. Followers of Jesus are not immune from suffering. We battle some furious storms, and yes, there are times when we feel like we’re just one breath away from drowning!

Both the disciples and Jesus were in the same boat, in the same storm, but what a difference in their reactions to it! Jesus was sleeping! There He was, peacefully resting, unaffected by the storm raging around Him. He wasn’t worried, nor was His attention focused on it, in fact, it appears He didn’t even notice it until the disciples brought it to His attention. Wow, that’s the way I want to be when the storms of life press in on me! Then there were the disciples, in full panic mode, frightened out of their minds, convinced they were going to drown. So what accounts for the difference in their reactions? Jesus gives us the clue when He asks, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Faith and fear cannot coexist. The more faith we have, the less fear we experience and when our faith dwindles, our fear rises.

At least the disciples had enough faith to cry out to Jesus, and in the end, that was their saving grace. Notice He never rebuked them for waking Him, instead He rebuked the very things that were causing them to fear. It may appear that Jesus took control of the situation and brought calm, but in reality, He had control of the situation from the moment they set sail. His very presence, had they exercised faith, would have been all they needed to remain calm.

So the lessons in this passage are simple ones, but life changing when applied.

• Follow Jesus into the boat.
• When the storm arises, remain calm, keep your eyes on Jesus and remember He is in complete control.
• Don’t let fear grip your heart, exercise faith instead.
• If fear is winning the battle and panic sets in, simply cry out to Jesus. He has the power to calm the storm!