Records falling in Water World…except one!

Back on the water theme today.  In light of Michael Phelps amazing performances and the unending media coverage there of, I am still pondering the water theme.  The 2008 Olympics is all about the water, and the records being set in it.  Like many, I am pulling for Phelps to win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win (I think that is eight wins).  When he does so, he will have accomplished a seemingly unattainable feat.

The name Mark Spitz has stuck with me and my thoughts of Olympic greatness ever since I was a four year old.  Born in 1968, the ‘72 Olympics sticks with me as my first real and vibrant sports-related “moment”.  Now, decades later, Phelps stands poised to break that record of 7 gold medals, and seven world records, in a single Olympics…a record set in the water.  Wow.

As impressive as all of this is, I would like to take a moment to offer us a little perspective.  No matter how amazing Phelps’ run turns out to be, he will never overcome one record, a water record, which has stood for over 2,000 years.   Like so many other athletes who have come before him, and so many that will follow, Phelps is taking it all in and the media is eating it up.  I for one am loving the ride.  It is thrilling to watch greatness as it is happening.  As a fan and a decent athlete, sports has captured me since I was a small child.  For me, life has always unfolded in its most vibrant hues on the field of play.  I come alive and my spirit soars inside the lines of a court or a field.  The Olympics, for me, has always been a thrill.  I can remember, as a younger guy, literally beginning the four year countdown as soon as the Olympics wrapped up.  I was hungry to see the next great performance on the world stage of competition.

Back to Phelps and his record setting.  As astounding as this run is, and it truly is stunning considering how many races he is swimming in a short period of time, his water run, as I mentioned prior, falls more than a bit short of the greatest water record ever set.  That record, unlike any that had come prior, save the parting of the Red Sea, stands today as the single most majestic “run” ever etched in the annals of Waterdom.  Moreover, this record, never to be matched in any Olympic venue, stands as a watermark for life not merely competition.  This record, a true conquering of the waters, offers us the clarion call to find the life we were meant to live.  This record calls each of us to conquer our fears, doubts, false sense of security, and our hunger for more out of life.

The record of which I speak is, of course, that of Jesus (and Peter) walking upon the water.  Yes, they actually walked on the water.  Right on top of it.  Try that Michael Phelps!  In light of the focus on the water theme this week, and in an effort to synchronize my efforts with that of the Games, I offer the reading below on Jesus’ and Peter’s great record.  Do you want to know what it means to soar?  Do you want to experience a quality of life that even exceeds that of Mr. Phelps?  If so, and as the reading suggests, you have got to get out of the boat!  It’s time for you and I to make an attempt to chase that record set some 2,000 years ago.  Let’s take our best shot at walking on water.

If you, like all great athletes and record setters, are looking for “more”, attempting to scale the next feat, take the next hill, or accomplish the next great task, then I believe you will find encouragement for the race in the excerpt below which comes from my book, Soul Storm (www.soulstormsite.com).  As you read, prayerfully consider what it is that God is calling you to do and to be in the race of life.  As was the case for Phelps when he was just a young boy, and as is the case with nearly all great athletes who are successful in individual competition, the journey to greatness begins with the risk of getting after it.  The future cannot be fully known, and the sacrifices are great, but the journey and the destination are worth the risk required for greatness.  Enjoy the read.

The Call to Something More

What if you could walk on water?  Pursuing the “what if” is not easy, but the rewards are worth everything you risk.  We often refer to this hypothetical dream as if it has never happened or we refer to it as if only “one guy” has ever done it.  In reality, Jesus was not the only person to have ever pulled this off.  Earlier in the book we looked at the first part of the account, but now let’s look at Matthew’s version of the rest of the story.

…and in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  He said, ‘Come’.  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  (Matthew 14:25-29)

What an experience this must have been.  Amidst a major storm, the winds howling, the rain pounding down, and in all likelihood surrounded by waves as tall as Peter stood himself, this man got up his nerve enough to take an enormous risk.  He got out of the boat, and walked on water!  What an absurd notion for anyone in the real world to even suggest something so stupid.  Who did this guy think he was anyway?  And if it were not ridiculous enough already to attempt something so bizarre, this guy wanted to try this in the middle of a violent storm.  What arrogance! 

But was Peter really arrogant, stupid, and over-confident or was he pursuing life as God intended it to be pursued?  We get too few big moments in life.  What if Howard Schultz would have taken “No.” for an answer when he was first refused in his petitions to join the ranks of Starbucks?   What if Gary had never left his home and traveled away from the surroundings that had kept a liver transplant from taking place?  What if the man, crippled with Palsy, had never been carried to Jesus for healing?  What happens if we miss the big moments life brings our way and we don’t venture out in new directions?  Do we settle for less?  We certainly do. 

For those who have never taken a risk on faith in God, they miss the abundant life He offers.  The fear of “giving up” what we know can leave us spiritually crippled in this life, never knowing what it means to live a life of significance.  It has been said that the problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting, but rather, it has been found hard and left untried.  Get out of the boat, take a chance on God.  See what He is capable of doing in and with your life.  God can and will instill new visions, bigger dreams, and greater clarity in your life when you trust Him for your purposes.  He may call you to things you never imagined or He may fulfill that desire in you that has yet never been voiced, planned or attempted.  He may use you in leadership to help others rebuild homes, cities, countries and lives.  He may use you to bring a plan into shape that will help numerous people recapture their lives.  Are you willing to take a risk?  Are you willing to dive in?

Peter’s venture toward a massive, God-sized risk was not perfectly executed, but it certainly was filled with drama, excitement and an exhilarating experience of the power of God.  The story continues to unfold as we read,

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’  And when the got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’.  (Matthew 14:30-32)

Peter, a man taking an audacious risk, started out in confidence and strength and then got distracted by the storm around him causing him to lose focus and lose sight of his dream to do what had never been done before.  In the midst of the storms of our lives God is calling us to get out of the boat and take a chance on something more.  He always wants to pull us beyond ourselves toward bigger things.  When we are willing to take a risk on His agenda the unthinkable dream can come into shape.  When our eyes focus too much on what life looks like from our vantage point, however, we settle for less and we begin to sink.  We must learn to ask, amidst the winds and waves, what God is calling us to.  As it was for Peter, so it will be with us, there will be moments of fear and distraction.  We will not get it right all of the time.  Storms will continue to rage around us and we will feel vulnerable.  Thankfully, the Creator looks on us with compassion and love and extends His reach to us during those moments.  He does not push us further under the water forcing us to cry “Uncle!”  God does not take joy in our drowning.  Rather, He desires that we walk on the water beside Him with poise, composure, and strength, no matter how big the waves that threaten us.      

What is God calling you to now?  Whether you find yourself at this moment amidst great trouble or if you find yourself on top of the world, God’s call is the same.  It rains on the just and the unjust, and it is also true that the just and the unjust find “success”.  In either place God is calling us to know, love and serve Him.  The void that exists for those who have gotten more than a life’s share of rain is the same void that exists in the heart of the person that has seen a life of plenty.  The call to take a risk on knowing Him remains.  The call to risk your life for knowing the life of Christ is the decision by which we will all be measured.  As Saint Augustine suggested long ago, there exists a void in all of us, a God ordained void that cannot and will not be filled with anything other than Him. We will find no rest until we find our rest in Him.  Building a life God’s way entails a release of all that makes us secure and an embrace of a future lived under the gaze of the One who controls the winds and the waves.  What if you took that chance?  What would your life look like as you stepped out onto those waters?  There’s only one way to find out.  Don’t leave that risk untried. 

Risking it all on Him,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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