In Mark chapter 4, the disciples were in a boat in the middle of a lake when a huge storm arose. They were so afraid and worried. They said, “Somebody go wake Jesus up. We’re going to die!” Jesus was asleep in the hull of the boat, at rest in the middle of the storm. The disciples were all frantic, “Jesus, Jesus wake up! We’re about to drown!” He woke up, went out to the deck of the boat, spoke to the storm, and everything immediately calmed down.
What’s interesting is that these disciples saw Jesus heal a paralyzed man, cure the leper and do all kinds of miracles. You would think that since they had seen miracles and since Jesus was the one who said, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake,” they would believe that they would make it. But doubt and fear crept in. They panicked and woke Jesus up.
Like the disciples, there will always be people who try to get us out of our place of rest. They may be good people; they may mean well, but they tend to focus on the negative, blow things out of proportion, and see everything as a crisis. If you allow them, they’ll get you worked up and worried. You have to put your foot down and say: “No, I’m staying at rest. Don’t wake me up with your worry; don’t wake me up with your fear; don’t wake me up with your doubt. I know God is still on the throne. He brought me through in the past, and He’ll bring me through this time, too!”
The way we respond in the storms of life influences the way people respond around us. If Jesus would have woken up all panicked saying, “Oh, wow! This is really bad,” the disciples probably would have jumped overboard! But because He stayed at rest, not only could He bring peace, but the people around Him calmed down.
Joel Osteen