While driving to Valdosta with two of my daughters, we were listening to some Christian rap songs. Some of them we had heard before, while others we had not. A song suddenly came on that was completely new to us. The song begins by hearing the artist tell a brief version of the account about Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:22-23). He is also sure to include the fact that Peter (one of Jesus’ disciples) asks Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And of course, he reminds us that Jesus responds with “come” and Peter is also able to walk on water! From there, the artist goes on to rap about the struggles of life and the storms that we all face. He also poses some challenging questions to his listeners. Some of these questions include, “Are you filled with his love? Are you filled with compassion? Are you building them up or are you tearing them down? Are you free from distraction? Do you give to the poor? Do you hate what is evil? Do you love what is righteous? These questions ultimately lead to the main chorus of the song, which asks “Are you walking on water or are you sinking on sand? Are you walking on water or are you sinking in sand? Are you walking in water or are you sand?

The message from the song and from Matthew 14:22-23 is very clear. God’s Word tells us that all things are possible, when we keep our eyes on Christ. When we take our eyes off of Christ though, we start to sink. In this biblical account, we saw a couple of amazing things. First, we see Jesus walking on water. The second, is that we also see Peter walking on water. These two amazing things were happening, while a nasty storm was going on. Suddenly though, things changed. Instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus and trusting him, Peter became overwhelmed by fear. He was caught up by the wind and rain, and began to sink. The good news for Peter, is that he quickly cried out to Jesus whom immediately rescued him from the water.

How does this story apply to people like you and me today though? Well, first and foremost, take a look at your life. Does your life include prayer, forgiveness of those that may have done you wrong, discipleship, showing compassion to the poor, etc.? If so, your eyes are likely on Christ and you are walking with Him. Or does your life not include these things and instead, is filled with little (or no) time in prayer, an unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and lack of compassion? If the latter is true, there certainly should be cause for concern. Jesus kept it simple when he commanded us to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40). It is impossible to follow both of these commandments, when we are not keeping our eyes on Christ. So, are you truly loving God and the people around you?

I challenge you today to seek God and His guidance for your life. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sins and are you now following Christ? Are you walking on water or are you sinking in sand?

Chad Daugherty is a Sunday School teacher and Missions Director at Hahira First Baptist Church.