The stories we tell ourselves about the storms in our lives matter

​There's a famous story in the bible in the book of Matthew - chapter 14.

As the story goes, Jesus' disciples were on a boat out in the middle of deep waters. It's the middle of the night; a big storm comes up. The disciples were frightened - as we all would be. Then Jesus appears to them - walking on the surface of the stormy waters.

The disciples start crying out - it's a ghost. But Jesus responds, "courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."

One of the disciples, Peter - who was never really good at leaving well enough alone - said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”

And Jesus basically said, what are you waiting for?

The bible says, jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”

Jesus did. He reached out his hand to Peter. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

The bible doesn't give us Peter's answer, but I'll give it to you. What got into Peter was the same thing that gets into us in the storms: fear.

As I am writing this, I've spent an hour already this morning telling myself the story of God's faithfulness. I've prayed. I've read devotions. I've sat quietly and given God the space to write his story on my heart. As I am writing this, I feel completely wrapped up in God's faithfulness.

Yet, in an hour or so, I will walk out of this quiet space into the world. If today is like thousands of days before it, storms will arise. The story of Peter is a great reminder that if I sink in the waters of those storms today, which I frequently do, it will not be because of the storms, it will be because of the story I start telling my heart about those storms.

"Faint heart, what got into you?"

There is a part of that Jesus walking on water story we don't often hear. But right before Jesus walked on water, Jesus had been up on a mountain, alone, praying while the disciples were sleeping. Right before Jesus walked on water, he had been telling his heart the story of God's faithfulness. Jesus knew the storm was coming, so Jesus started telling himself a story of strength and not a story of fear.

A story he did not quit telling himself when the storm ultimately came.

Maybe you don't believe this story about walking on water. I get it. I wasn't there so I can't speak to its truth.

But I am here, in this life of mine. I am here, watching the lives around me. And I've come to know this beyond any doubt. In storms, the people who tell themselves a story of strength and not a story of fear - they rise above the storm. They don't sink.

Every day I read a new story about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He is hailed as a brave hero.

I guess I don't see him as brave or as a hero. I see him as a brilliant story-teller. The most brilliant stories we can tell aren't the stories we tell one another - or the stories we tell Congress - but rather the stories we tell ourselves.

In the quiet days before the storm, President Zelensky was telling himself the story of God's faithfulness. As the storm has descended, he has continued to tell himself that story. As a result, he's had a profound influence on the stories millions around the world are telling themselves about fear.

Getting out of the boats of our lives and walking on top of the storms in our lives doesn't start when we become brave enough to do so. It starts when we start telling ourselves the right story. A story that has no end.

Fear is a lie. It always will be. God's faithfulness is true. It always will be.

It's up to us which story we tell ourselves.