Eyes Forward: Walking Above the Waves

Losing Focus in the Game

In 2020, Manchester City played Lyon in the Champions League. Late in the game, Raheem Sterling found himself in front of an open net—an easy chance to score. But instead of focusing on the shot, he looked up at the keeper, thought about the pressure, and the ball flew over the bar. A moment of distraction cost his team dearly.

Every athlete knows the truth: when you lose focus—even for a second—you can lose your rhythm, your creativity, and sometimes the game.

Jesus used this same principle to show how much focus matters in following Him.

Peter Steps Out

In Matthew 14:22–33, the disciples were in a boat during a storm when Jesus came walking toward them on the water. Peter called out, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come.”

And he did it—Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water. But the moment he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves, he sank. His courage turned into fear, his stride turned into struggle.

Faith in the Storm

Peter’s story reminds us: faith is not about the absence of storms, but about where we keep our focus in the middle of them.

The waves are real—stress, failure, fear, temptation—but they don’t have to define us. Fix your eyes forward on Christ, and you rise above. Focus on the storm, and you sink.

The good news? Even when Peter was sinking, Jesus reached out His hand. Our failures don’t disqualify us. Jesus rescues and refocuses us.

Sports and Faith Parallels

In sports, “waves” look like:

• Fear of making a mistake.
• Distraction from the crowd, the opponent, the official, or the scoreboard.
• Pressure so heavy it makes you play tight instead of free and creative.

In faith, the waves can be:

• Fear of the future.
• Stress from school, relationships, or family.
• Temptation and doubt pulling your focus off Christ.

Both in sports and in faith, the way forward is the same: eyes ahead, heart steady, confidence in the One who called you.

Eyes Forward Living

Following Jesus is stepping out of the boat every single day. It’s trusting Him when the conditions look impossible, and refusing to let the storm dictate your steps.

That means:

• Choosing faith over fear.
• Refusing to let distractions own your focus.
• Walking forward with Jesus, even when it feels risky.

The same mental toughness you train for in competition is the focus Jesus calls you to in your faith.

Athlete Takeaway

This week, ask yourself: What “waves” are pulling my focus off Jesus?

• Identify one distraction or fear that makes you sink.
• Set a boundary around it, or replace it with something that points you to Jesus.
• When you feel yourself sinking, pray Peter’s simple prayer: “Lord, save me!”

Encouragement from Scripture

“You of little faith,” [Jesus] said, “why did you doubt?” … And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” — Matthew 14:31–33

“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” — Hebrews 12:1–2