That day, at evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me across the lake.” 36 So they left the crowd behind and went with Jesus in the boat he was already in. There were also other boats that went with them. 37 A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. 38 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”
39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.40 He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:36-40
This passage is so interesting. Jesus asks his followers to come with him across the lake and then a storm comes. Let’s pause there.
When we follow Jesus, it isn’t unexpected that we may encounter “bad winds”. Much like these followers in Mark, we tend to ask the Lord: “God, don’t you care about us!? We’re going down!” All while it seems like our Savior is sleeping…
So, for those of us who want to be more like Jesus, are we also called to sleep in the midst of bad winds? That would be a great mood for 2022!
We don’t know what 2022 has to offer, but we do know we can sleep despite the storm. How do we sleep?
Here are 3 mindset shifts that can help us sleep in 2022.
Understand that answers are unnecessary.
While it may seem like knowing what’s going to happen next would be required, the answers actually aren’t all that important. Sometimes, the more we know… the less we understand.
The key to sleeping in the midst of storms is to develop a relationship with the one who does know ( and actually decides) the answers: The Lord. As we grow deeper and more connected with the Lord, we come to know his gracious, kind, gentle, loving nature. This relational knowing is crucial – as storms come, we aren’t swayed because we can rest in the understanding that we are loved and protected, and nothing can ever change that.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. | Matthew 11:28-29
Keep an eye on the next right step.
Do the next right thing! This is a mindset I try to remind myself of often. Managing the big picture is exciting, but it can be quite overwhelming when lots of things are happening at once.
A simple way to sleep in storms is to just do what’s next. Often, the next right thing to say a quick prayer, take a deep breath, or shed a few tears.
In this passage, Jesus’ followers took the next right step for them and asked for help. Consider taking a moment now to do the same.
Remember how far you’ve already come.
Come on. We can do hard things! We’ve been through storms like this before.
Yes, those are things I say to myself quite often when I’m tempted to quit. I highly recommend reminding yourself of how far you’ve already come. When we remember all that we’ve been through, we become encouraged to pursue another win. We can do this. We’ve done it before.
More importantly: God can see us through this. He’s done it before.
Okay, I’d like to hear from you! What helps you sleep in the boat?
Karah Palmer 