Focus: Excess Luggage

Text: Mt.14:30,31

"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was AFRAID… O thou of LITTLE FAITH, wherefore didst thou DOUBT?"

I remember paying dearly for excess luggage at the Baltimore International Airport in USA. It wasn't funny at all. The excess stuff I paid for were things I couldn't afford to leave behind, because I needed them.

Simon Peter carried within him excess luggage of three items, and he had no need of them.

One day, as the disciples of Christ traveled across the sea, they were hit by a mighty storm. Their lives were threatened as the storm raged on nonstop. Then Christ, the master of the elements, stepped in and took control of the situation. While saving Peter, His sinking disciple, He asked him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Why the doubt? FEAR gripped Peter the moment he saw and felt the gravity of the storm. Also, in another story similar to this, the Lord Jesus asked His disciples, "Why are ye SO FEARFUL? how is it that ye have NO FAITH?" (Mk.4:40). Their faithlessness and fear were baseless. Mark Christ's exclamation, "O thou…" It was shocking to the Lord that Peter was carrying in his soul such an excess luggage, and it was absolutely needless. O how often we shock our Christ by our baseless fears, doubts and waning faith!

Let me spell out the three excess luggage in the form of a question.

*Why the little faith?

*Why the fear?

*Why the doubt?

It's the excess luggage of little or no faith, fear and doubt. It is a luggage big enough to sink any ship, not minding its size and strength. The word 'little' has nothing to do with quantity, but with quality. Peter's faith was brief or short-lived. In a moment he walks on the water by faith, and in the next he is fearful. He lost faith upon seeing how severe the storm was. His faith was unstable. The faith came by hearing the words of Christ and quickly disappeared by looking at the outward circumstances of the storm. His faith didn't last. It suffered from a spiritual eclipse. His showy faith quickly disappeared into thin air the moment he came face to face with the physical reality of the situation. He threw his faith overboard and welcomed fear and doubt into his soul. Instantly he began to sink. If not for his prayer and the Lord's quick response, Peter would have sunk underneath and died.

Beware of little faith! It can neither withstand the tides nor stand the test of time. You can't go far with little faith. You can't persevere to the end with little faith.

Beware of fear! It comes by sight and slays your faith if not checked, even sinking its carrier.

Beware of doubt; it cuts you into two from the middle, so that you find yourself neither here nor there. You are split in two halves, going in different directions and really getting nowhere. Doubt has the force of gravity that can't let you rise or soar. It can sink any ship.

These three items - little faith, fear and doubt - are needless heavy loads for any Christian to carry. Like lead, they sink. Jettison them from your life, for with them you can't travel light and safe. But with Jesus in your life you will get to your destination. Yes, life can be stormy at times, but with the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, we will surely reach the shore. He guides and guards us all the way.

Break free now and rest in Christ from the heavy loads of fear, doubt and 'little' faith!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter