In the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles asks, “How will I know I’m ready?” The answer: “You won’t. It’s a leap of faith.” That line is the theme of the whole movie. Miles does not feel ready when he jumps. He is scared. He doubts himself. But when he finally takes the leap, that is when he becomes Spider-Man. The confidence comes after the jump, not before it.
That is how faith works.
Think about Peter stepping out of the boat. The storm was still raging. The wind was still blowing. Peter did not wait for the waves to calm down before he moved. He simply said, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come.” And Jesus said, “Come.” (Matthew 14:28-29) Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord save me!” (Matthew 14:30). The water did not hold Peter because he was confident. The water held him because he stepped and took action. He would have never known he could walk on water if he stayed in the boat.
Last night I realized something about myself. I was asked to go on stage at our church youth group and help lead a game. During practice, I was nervous and kept messing up. I was focused on performance. But when the students walked in, something shifted. I stopped worrying about how I looked and started focusing on them. I was not performing, I was pastoring. Performance is about me, but pastoring is about people. When I took action and stepped into serving instead of performing, the nerves faded.
Faith is not the absence of doubt, it is action in the middle of it. The Bible says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17), and “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
I may not always feel ready to step into public speaking. I may doubt myself. But I am stepping anyway. Just like Peter, doubt may be in the boat, but obedience is what gets you on the water.
So today, whatever feels bigger than you, step toward it. Do not wait for perfect clarity. Do not wait for your nerves to disappear. Pray and move. The storm may still be loud, but Jesus is still saying, “Come.” And you will never discover what God can do through you if you stay in the boat.
The Bigger Picture: Confidence follows action. Faith requires a leap.
The Bigger Picture 