What does the push and pull of an unspectacular workday have to do with Jesus’ miracles?
Most of us don’t live at the extremes. We live in the middle—emails, meetings, delays, small wins—just trying to move from point A to point B.
Straining at the oars
One night Jesus sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee while he stayed behind to pray. Mark writes, “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (Mark 6:48).
They weren’t in a crisis. No storm. No sinking boat. Just headwinds and hard going.
What did Jesus do? “He went out to them, walking on the lake.” When they were afraid, “immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.” (Mark 6:48–51)
He comes in headwinds, not only in storms
Sometimes Jesus performs a lifesaving rescue (see Mark 4). Other times, he watches, he sees the strain, and he comes—not because we’re about to go under, but because the work is simply hard. That’s most days.
He sees you. He cares for you. He comes to you. He gets in the boat with you. And as he does, he speaks the word you need: “Take courage. It is I.” With him present, the wind that resists you loses its power to rule you.
How to row with Jesus today
Name the headwind. Be specific: “Lord, the deadline is tight,” “this decision feels foggy,” “this relationship is tense.”
Invite his presence. Ask him to be with you in the task, not just at the end of it.
Receive his word. “Take courage. It is I.” Let his nearness reset your pace and posture.
Keep rowing. His presence doesn’t always remove resistance, but it does supply endurance—and often quiets the wind in ways you couldn’t.
“Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” — Mark 6:50
Monday looks different with Jesus in the boat
Your day may still feel ordinary. The water may still chop. But you are not on your own, and your limits are not the ceiling. He has authority over every wind and wave. He will reveal himself as God where you sit and work, and he will get you where he wants you to go.
Let him in the boat. Trust him with the weather. And keep rowing.
