I often wonder what Jesus’ state of mind was when he decided to take a nap on the boat knowing a storm was brewing. Jesus had told his disciples to follow him to the other side of the lake after he had done preaching. He had spoken to the people in many parables and possibly needed some downtime to recharge.
While on the boat he took a nap in the stern - the back of the boat. He might have been exhausted, but being God, he knows all things, which meant that he knew a storm would have been brewing, and yet he still chose to sleep. Then suddenly a violent wind came and the storm wreaked havoc.
The storm was so violent that the ship was filling up with water but yet Jesus chose to sleep in the stern. It was not until the disciples woke him up that he got up and addressed the storm.
Multiple times throughout the bible, we are told to not worry but trust God. In 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 7, it says “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” We all have our different situations that can cause us anxiety, but God said cast all of them on him because he cares for us.
He is the one who knows the beginning from the end and he wants us know that he cares for us, and wants to help us. So, it should be easy knowing the creator of the universe wants to take all our anxieties, right? But how do we go about doing this?
You see anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, or uneasiness. It is a normal response to stress but can become a disorder if these reactions occur with everyday situations. Symptoms might be rapid heartbeat, sweating, restlessness and at times hyperventilation. This reaction to stress can become overbearing especially for someone who likes to be in control.
Over time
Over time I have noticed that I can’t be in control and allow God to lead at the same time. So, whenever I try to take control of the different situations in life, I realize that’s when I start experiencing anxieties. Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.”
So, at the time when we start experiencing anxieties, we should cast it on God by telling him what our concerns are.
In the boat on the sea of Galilee, Jesus was sleeping during a situation that would have caused great anxiety. There was a peace in knowing that it will be well even when it seemed like the ship was sinking. The connection that Jesus had with his father gave him the assurance that even in the middle of the storm, he could take rest.
And it’s not that anxiety won’t come into our lives but it’s how we handle it. Knowing that our heavenly father cares about our anxieties and wants to hear about them should be comforting for us. The next time you are faced with stresses in your life, will God question your faith in him?