Why Are You Afraid?

Read

Matthew 8:26 "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."

Think

The wind howled, waves crashing over the boat, drenching everything in sight. The disciples, men who had spent their lives on the water, were gripping whatever they could to stay upright. Their muscles burned from fighting against the storm, their lungs gasping for breath between the crashing swells. They were drowning. And Jesus? He was asleep.

Panic took over. Fear pressed hard against their chests. Didn’t Jesus care? Didn’t he see what was happening? They shook him awake, desperation spilling from their lips. Jesus stood, unshaken by the storm raging around them. But instead of looking at the waves, he looked at them. And the first thing Christ did wasn’t to calm the sea—it was to ask a question. A piercing one. Why are you afraid?

The storm didn’t disappear in that moment, but something shifted. Because he wasn’t just asking about the weather—he was asking about trust.

Fear is real. The disciples weren’t wrong to acknowledge the danger. But their fear revealed something deeper—they believed in Jesus, but in that moment, they doubted his care. They let the storm dictate their faith, instead of letting their faith dictate how they saw the storm.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” What if the storm you fear isn’t here to destroy you, but to bring you closer to him?

Jesus didn’t abandon them to the storm. And he won’t abandon you. The same voice that calmed the sea speaks into your fear today. God is with you. He is in control. And he is asking you to trust him.

Apply

Shift your focus. Instead of focusing on what feels overwhelming, remind yourself who is in control. Repeat this truth: Jesus is with me in this storm. He is not afraid, and he will not leave me.

Pray

God, you are with me even when the storms feel overwhelming. Help me to trust you more, to fix my eyes on you instead of my fears, and to rest in your presence. Strengthen my faith so that no matter what I face, I will remember that you are in control. In Jesus’ name. Amen.