5 habits to better manage the storms of life

Life can be overwhelming at times, even scary. It’s a dangerous world we live in and no matter how good we are or how well we try to live our lives, storms will inevitably come. How do we make it through the storms of life?

We get some clues in Matthew 14:22-33 where Jesus walks on water to the disciples’ boat in the midst of a storm and then commands Peter to walk on water as well. In this account, we see how fear overwhelms us and how to counter that fear with five habits.

How fear overwhelms us:

ONE  Through the buffeting storms of life.

Matthew says they were a considerable distance from land when a storm came up, and the boat was “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (Matthew 14:24 NIV). The storms of life come against us all. They are inevitable in this fallen world. You are either just coming out of a storm, currently in a storm, or about to go into a storm. In my mind, the storm could be illness, unemployment, family problems, difficult people, etc.

TWO  Through the unexpected horrors of life.

When Jesus came walking on the water, the disciples did not immediately recognize Him. They thought He was a ghost and they cried out in fear (Matthew 14:25-26). To me, these unexpected horrors could be losing a loved one, getting a terminal diagnosis, getting fired, or other even more difficult experiences. The kinds of things no one expects will happen to them. These experiences mark us for life.

THREE  Through the myriad distractions of life.

After Peter walked on water a bit, he started looking around and began to sink (Matthew 14:29-30). In our 21st-century world, we have more distractions than ever before. Studies show that our constant checking of email, texts, and social media dings on our phones and other devices keep us from being productive on the things that really matter. When we get distracted, we get our eyes off of the prize, and we begin to get discouraged and fearful.

How do we counter the overwhelming fears of life? Through these five habits:

ONE  Pray diligently (before and during the storm).

It’s interesting to me that it seems Jesus was the only one who went away to pray (Matthew 14:23). Consistent, daily prayer during the more mundane times prepares us for stormy weather. This is not about ignoring God when things are quiet and then suddenly crying out to Him when a squall hits. This is about praying during the quiet of an ordinary day, day in and day out. The ones who do this are stronger. They can’t avoid the storms; no one can. And they are not immune to the effects of them. But they can weather them from a place of strength and courage.

TWO  Take courage (don’t be afraid).

When the disciples think they’re seeing a ghost, Jesus immediately says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:26-27). How do we “take courage”? To take courage means we have to receive it from someone. We take courage from Christ when we store up His Word in our hearts. We take courage from the positive, godly people we surround ourselves with and run to when needed. We take courage from a loving spouse who knows just what we need to hear.

THREE  Be obedient (do what God says).

When Jesus says, “Come” (Matthew 14:29), we need to come. Be obedient to what God tells you to do. If you’re not sure what that is, go back to what you know. Obey in the dark what you know to be right in the light. God will often call us to do something in faith during these dark times, and we will find courage and conquer fear as we obey Him.

FOUR  Have faith (don’t doubt).

As Jesus catches Peter, He says, “You of little faith . . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). When we get overwhelmed by the pressures and distractions of life, it’s easy to begin doubting and losing faith. Our eyes get set on this world that we can easily see instead of the spiritual world that takes faith to see. We need to reset our eyes and reboot our faith by turning to God and His Word.

FIVE  Worship God (thank Him).

At the end of this passage, the boat passengers worship God (Matthew 14:33). After having witnessed what they did, you would have too. During these fearful times, we also need to worship God. Worship Him and thank Him for all He has done. This is easy to do when He answers prayer, but also do it when things are going haywire. There are always things to be thankful for. There’s a gratitude movement going on where folks are challenged to be grateful for three things each day, writing them down in a journal. This is good and right, but as Christians we also recognize that there is a Person to direct our thanks to.

We can’t avoid the storms of life. They rain down on each person. But we can employ these five habits to better manage the storms.

What’s your most effective weapon against fear and the storms of life?