In his book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, John Ortberg stretches our faith to experience God. Those who are yearning to hear God’s voice are challenged to step into obedience.

The focus of the book is on Matthew 14:25-32, an all too familiar narration of the struggle between faith and fear. However, Ortberg has skillfully drawn out the principles and patterns that teach us spiritual adventure and growth. His storytelling ability compels us to put ourselves into the biblical account.

Symbolically, we learn to discover ourselves – our true self, described as “Our Boat.” The challenge is to move from a mundane and unfulfilling life into an adventure with God that will bring out the zest of life in us. It is a common cry of most to know oneself and to move into God’s destiny. Otherwise, we will miss the mark and become what Ortberg describes as “Boat Potatoes.”

It is also important to discern God’s call and recognize His presence. Often, it can come when we least expect it, just as Jesus was walking on the lake at three in the morning. Ortberg brings clarity to the concept of calling, which involves the call-er and call-ee.

Walking on water is a risky venture. There is a need to discern between the faith of responding to God and the foolishness of acting on impulse. However, faith does not come by trying harder but by getting to know God better. This Bible account teaches us to expect problems in our walk with God. And the storms (of life) have a way of teaching us what nothing else in life can. This is reality; this is true to life. Ortberg reminds us that there is danger in getting out of the boat, but there is also danger in staying in it.

In the midst of the storm, there will be fear. We are encouraged to accept fear as the price of growth – it is a life choice similar to the choice to follow Jesus. The author illustrates that fear and growth go together. It is a package deal. So each time we get out of the boat, we become a little more likely to get out the next time. It is not that the fear goes away, but that we get used to conquering fear, as we realize that it does not have the power to destroy us.

Ortberg defines failure as not an event but rather a judgment about an event – the way we think about outcomes. God’s most frequently repeated instruction is “Fear Not.” Ortberg thinks that fear is the number one reason human beings are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do. Fear is the reason why people refuse to get out of the boat. An important detail of the Bible passage was that Jesus identified Peter’s problem as “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Ortberg highlighted that this comment by Jesus was made when the disciples were alone on the water. Hence it was Peter’s willingness to risk failure that helped him to grow.

Another learning point is to wait on the Lord, or in other words, to trust His timing. We may ask why couldn’t Jesus have made the wind die down before Peter got out of the boat? Oftentimes “waiting on the Lord” is the hardest part of trusting. It is said that at the heart of emotional intelligence is the ability to delay gratification and not live at the mercy of impulse. So waiting is not just something we have to do while we get what we want. It is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.

Ortberg brings to our realization that water walking brings a deeper connection with God. The sustaining power of God provides Hope that got Peter out of the boat and Trust that held him up. The disrupted connection with God brings Fear that sank him.

In essence, this book can be seen as an exercise in spiritual formation, that we can recognize just how big our God is. The process in which we come to perceive and declare the vastness, worthiness and strength of God is worship. So without worship, our experience and enjoyment of God is incomplete as we live in fear, and we forget that we have a Big God.

Yong Shan Chi is a consultant civil engineer. He worships at Trinity Christian Centre with a special interest in leading small group discussions. He enjoys reading and is eager to share his insights into the application of biblical principles.