Who’s Driving the Boat?

I love the scene in the Gospel when Jesus calms the storm. He actually does this more than once, but the moment that stands out to me is when He’s in the boat with His apostles. The storm is raging, the waves are crashing, and where is Jesus? Asleep.

The apostles panic. Fear grips them. They wake Him up, desperate for help.

There are many lessons in this passage, but recently, one question stood out to me: Who’s driving the boat?

The apostles probably thought they were. After all, they were the ones navigating, rowing, trying to stay afloat. And in a sense, they weren’t wrong. They were actively steering the vessel. But when the storm came, they instinctively turned to Jesus. Deep down, they knew—they weren’t really in charge.

Isn’t the same true for us? We go about our lives, making plans, working hard, believing we’re in control. But when trouble comes, where do we turn? Hopefully, to Christ.

But here’s the real question: Hasn’t He been steering all along?

The storms of life remind us of a truth we easily forget—we are not the captains of our own ships. Jesus is. The sooner we recognize that, the more peace we’ll have, even in the roughest waters.