Living in God’s Will Means Walking on Water
Over-thinkers often miss the will of God for their lives, which is good, acceptable and perfect.
Believers have a unique FOMO—a fear of missing out on God’s perfect plan for their lives.
This FOMO is nothing like the worldly fear of missing out on “all that sin has to offer.” This FOMO is biblical: only a renewed mind can discern the will of God. (Romans 12:2)
I have a fierce hatred toward regrets—both before Christ and after.
But that hatred has changed, and so has the kind of regrets. I’ve never spent a single day partying, never a single night at a club, never blacked out—not even once. Not because I was genetically superior or lacked that worldly FOMO before Christ, but because I had a different FOMO—
I feared regret.
I feared that life was too short to build something that would outlive me.
I feared that youth would flee in the blink of an eye.
I feared realizing that I hadn’t made each day count.
I feared being old, lonely, sick, and poor at the same time.
I feared facing the disgust after gorging on junk food and sugar.
I feared the self-loathing that followed my lack of discipline.
I feared the hollow ache of a wasted day in anxiety.
Most of all, I feared not giving my all—not pouring my heart into everything I set out to do.
It took Christ only a moment to free me from unforgiveness toward others—but two years to deliver me from unforgiveness toward myself.
A person reluctant to forgive himself is often self-righteous and exacting. He forgives others by turning that unforgiveness inwardly.
Perhaps you’ve genuinely forgiven those who hurt you—but have you forgiven yourself for letting them?
Self-unforgiveness is treachery in disguise. It wears a fancy, addictive mask of humility.
I still fear regret—because in this life, nothing outlasts regret.
But I see it differently. I hate missing out on God’s will, so I seek Him diligently. The discipline I inherited from my father and cultivated over the decade keeps me in the presence of the Lord—even when I don’t feel like it. Knowing that faith without works is dead, I work hard to make sure I’m safe: not just safe enough to enter, but safe enough to inherit the kingdom of God.
The promise of God written in the Scriptures delivered me from that fear of regret. I knew now that all things work together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose—
As I make sure I love Him as a decision—not a feeling—and I am called according to His purpose beyond all doubt, I no longer fear regret—for I shall have no regret walking uprightly with God.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness—it’s not just a command of the Lord, but this is the only way to free me from the vigorous fear of regrets that drove me through my BC life.
The spirit of fear—particularly the fear of regret—utterly lost its grip on me after that 21-day water fast.
But does it try to come back? Certainly, just like all demonic spirits. They always visit their old hosts after being cast out, seeking a moment of weakness to gain access to the man again. The man must resist over and over and over after deliverance until the devil flees from him.
Jesus has pressed an acceleration button over my life since my water baptism to restore the years that the locusts have eaten. Sounds incredible, feels terrible.
A weak moment to me is the moment I must face the transition of seasons again—not in a span of years but months; not six or seven months but one to three months. I must pack up and get out—to a place where He will show me.
No sense of security from the bank balance, familiar community, or settled opportunity—only God, Who goes before me and goes with me.
Abraham lived in a tent most of his life, so whenever God spoke, he was ready to move. Lot, however, ever since he separated from Abraham, dwelled in a house at Sodom and Gomorrah.
That’s what I want to talk about today—living in God’s will means walking upon the water.
How do you know you’re walking on water?
When you look away from Jesus—when you analyze your situation with a carnal mind and start thinking—or rather, sinking—then you know.
Sinking into the abyss of fear. Disillusioned by how far you've come through storms and waves. How come that you’ve never “realized” that you’re clinically insane to step out into the ocean in the first place.
And where is that Man you saw at the beginning? He must be a ghost. A male siren, luring people to follow Him only to drown. That’s how it feels walking on water. One moment of distraction can sink you. One flicker of doubt can drown you. You start panicking, overthinking, and end up “lingering on this mountain for too long.”(Deuteronomy 1:6)
You realize you’ve been as if in a trance—just like how the Word used to come to the prophets and apostles—indeed, you’re as if hypnotized by the Holy Spirit Who has the audacity to tell you to get out and “go to a place that He will show you.”
Oh my goodness, I must have completely lost my mind.
Now the Lord says, “Good, you need to lose your mind.”
You must lose your mind for it to be renewed. You must lose your life for you to have life.
If you have not lost your mind and followed this Man, you would never have known the perfect will of God for your life.
So in this crazy voyage, you were first hypnotized by His Word, then you lost your mind, and you resisted losing your mind—so you sank, you drowned, you died—and finally, you can truly live unto eternity, and be fruitful and multiply.
Many Christians never experience this rich, desperate, epic journey with God. They received Jesus with joy, but when He called them out to a place He would show them—they gave thanks but shut Jesus outside the door. Some did follow Him out, only to crawl back to their boats and roll back to shore when they realized they’d lost their minds walking on water after this Man.
Have I not thought of crawling back to my boat and rolling as fast as I could to shore?
Absolutely.
But I figured that would take considerable time and energy—so in my panic, I cried out to that Man instead: “Lord, save me!”
He did—many times.
It’s not that I’m a super Christian—I'm probably just, well, calculating. Going back and moving forward both take time and effort, but I know that if I keep going, this Man is obligated to carry me through.
By the way, I have this “tantrum” toward God—
You called me out of my father's house, my country, away from my people; You told me to get out of my boat and walk on the water through the storm with You—well, if I perished, I perished; but Your reputation would be ruined forever because You said, "he who puts his trust in the Lord will not be ashamed." You are responsible for me not being ashamed. For Your own Name's sake, Lord, You can't fail me—otherwise, everybody is gonna know—and I mean, EVERYBODY.
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This tantrum and my calculation keep me on His tail. In the valley of the shadow of death, I prayed His own Word back to Him; I held onto the Word when fear told me otherwise.
I’m already too far gone with this Man. I can’t go back anymore. At this point, if I perish, I perish—but if He is Who He says He is: I will enter His rest and glory; I will testify to His faithfulness; I will have His best, live in His top plan for my life, and have all the desires of my heart fulfilled.
I made a bet on God Who I’ve followed all my life—at first dimly, and now face to face—from Egypt to the wilderness into the Promised Land.
It wasn’t just a decision to follow Jesus. It was a bet, and the stake was all of me—all my heart, all my mind, all my soul, and all my strength.
Because He gave all of Him for me on that cross.
This is maybe my favourite article so far. You’ve had many good ones. The concept of Christian FOMO - missing out on Gods perfect will, really hit. I’ve lived like that as a chronic over thinker.
Recently, I’ve been sensing the Lord calling me away from my current church, but he hasn’t shown we were to go yet. It feels like madness, however i’ll choose to walk on the water for now.
Thanks for sharing your gift Alice. Blessings in Christ 🙏🏾
so wonderfully deep yet another pearl of wisdom as Alice so beautifully articulates that daily balance and conversation in our minds as the Lord sanctifies us in our life journey. ❤️