Now Is the Time to Step Out of the Boat

We have experienced a storm. Do you still feel the shaking? Are you still fearful of what is to come? The earth continues to groan. In America, for many people, it still feels as though we are standing on unsteady ground. There’s still a sense of unknown when it comes to the immediate future of our personal and governmental financial foundations. With every day that passes, we have an impulse to weigh the risk of future investments and possible losses. Is it scary? You bet.

If there’s something I’ve learned throughout my lifelong journey in entrepreneurship, it’s that fear of failure is a straight-up killer. You can have the best idea and the best plan of action. But if you are afraid of falling flat on your face, you will never learn the lessons necessary to excel. There comes a point when the desire to reach a destination becomes greater than the possible roadblocks that may stand in the way. Imagine if Peter had allowed the wind and the waves and the depth of the water to be the deciding factor in his pursuit of Jesus. He never would have gotten out of the boat.

Too often, we allow our weaknesses to keep us from taking that first step. If we want to live the super-natural life God created us for, then we’ll need Him to be involved. I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God says, “My power works best in weakness.” If we want to see God’s power at full force in our lives, we need to live by fully embracing our weaknesses and not allow them to keep us firmly planted where we are. The fullness of our destiny is not found in the boat. It’s only found in the vast expanse of unknown. In that uncomfortable place. Where the opportunity to fail is real and the existence of weakness is realized. It’s in that place that Holy Spirit dwells, and faith becomes your GPS.

I’ve learned a ton of lessons from my failures. I haven’t learned much from my successes. Every time I give the effort, I get results. Sometimes the results are good, and sometimes the results aren’t so good. But I know that I can learn and adjust and ultimately grow when I get the results. God gives gifts, and I use them. I learn what I can from what I’ve been given, and I go. I give it my all. I step out of the boat and expect to be compelled by love, empowered by God and encouraged through faith.

There’s a great big gap that stands between where you want to be and where you currently are. Whether in business, in ministry or life in general. And in that space are many opportunities for hang-ups, pitfalls and roadblocks. There will be times of realizing your strengths, and there will be many occasions that your weaknesses will be exposed. Is it worth it? Only if you have a God-sized dream.