Steady in The Storm
This summary synthesizes the core teachings on resilience, faith, and leadership derived from Bishop T.D. Jakes’ message, “Steady in The Storm,” based on Luke 8:22–26. The central theme is the imperative for believers to remain steady, not hysterical, when navigating the inevitable storms of life, trusting that God has already determined the desired outcome—the “other side.”
I. The Mandate: Be Steady in the Storm
The ultimate challenge for a believer or leader is to remain steady in the storm. Anyone can appear steady when there is no storm, but true leadership is defined by tranquility amidst chaos.
The core scripture recounts the disciples’ journey across the lake: Jesus commanded them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake”. Though the journey started calmly, a violent windstorm arose, filling the boat with water and putting them in jeopardy.
The True Skill of a Leader
A leader must maintain steadiness, avoiding hysteria, anxiety, fretfulness, or panic. This posture provides stability for those around them. The speaker uses a personal illustration, telling his family: “Don’t you get scared till I get scared… don’t you panic till you see me panic”.
God’s Certainty
Despite the chaos, Jesus determined the end from the beginning, stating they would cross over to the other side before they even started. Wherever God has predestined a person to go, they will get there, but they must remain steady during the process. The ultimate confirmation is that, despite the storm, “they got there”.
II. The Nature of Storms: Inevitable, Loud, and Unpredictable
Storms are a fundamental part of God’s plan for getting people to the “other side”. They are not always predictable, do not send warnings, and are designed to challenge one’s ability to remain steady.
Storms are Built-In
Storms are the one thing everyone faces—rich or poor, married or single, regardless of philosophy or status. There is nobody who will avoid the fact that storms are built into God’s plan.
When Storms Strike
Most good things start out calmly—marriages, business ventures, and even the flight that the speaker describes. It is the disruptions that happen in the middle of the journey that are most challenging.
Storms often hit when you are already tired, burned out, frustrated, or exhausted. The enemy waits for vulnerability, striking when a person feels like “if one more thing hits me I am going to lose it”.
You Do Not Get to Choose the Storm
A critical lesson is that individuals do not get to pick the storm they face. They cannot choose between dealing with issues like leukemia, losing toes, or losing family members. This inability to control the crisis is especially traumatic for control freaks, regardless of gender, who feel safe only when they are in control.
III. The Lesson of the Storm: Survival, Not Fixing
The most difficult lesson learned in a storm is that it is not yours to fix; it is yours to survive.
The Failure to Fix
Men, in particular, are often raised to fix things and may feel like a failure or lose self-esteem if they cannot fix a problem, relationship, or job. This impulse leads many to pick “fixer-uppers” in relationships to feel needed.
However, the disciples were not on the boat to fix the storm. The storm is not yours to fix; you cannot fix the storm. This realization can be incredibly humbling and liberating.
The Prophetic Purpose of the Journey
The specific storm faced by Jesus and the disciples was a prophetic trip. Crossing the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes meant bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. The boat, representing the Church, was navigating the “tempest of the world” to fulfill a major assignment. The world is unpredictable, and the Church must survive being in the world, recognizing that it only works in the sea.
It Will Come to Pass
The enduring comfort found repeatedly throughout the Old and New Testaments is the phrase: “and it came to pass”. No matter how fierce, devastating, or tragic a storm is (like Hurricane Katrina), it always comes to pass; it is over. Much of the trauma and agony people experience is quickly forgotten once the storm passes.
IV. The Power of Presence and Perspective
Jesus’s response to the crisis reveals the true source of stability: His presence and the need for a shift in perspective.
The Power of Christ’s Presence
When the disciples woke Jesus, He rebuked the wind and the raging water, and there was a calm. Jesus then asked, “Where is your faith?”.
The presence of Jesus is paramount. Peter forgot the power of Christ’s presence, focusing instead on Christ’s performance (what Jesus did). The very fact that Jesus is on the boat with you means the storm is lying, because the one who brings life cannot be drowned. The presence of God is enough to take a person through anything.
The Rebuking of Peter
Jesus rebuked Peter not for waking Him up, but for two deeper failures:
- Hysteria in Leadership: Peter, as a leader, became hysterical and stopped acting like he was in charge. A leader cannot hide or panic; they must hold onto the wheel, aiming for the other side.
- Failure to Use Power: Peter failed to believe that he had what it takes to get through the storm. Jesus implicitly communicated: “I equipped you with enough stuff to make it through this storm… this was a storm for you to rebuke,” not for Him to rebuke. Jesus gives power over the enemy, and frantic emotions surrender that power. The storm was a test in a controlled environment to prepare them for what God was about to do.
Changing Perspective
The speaker experienced this shift when agonizing over a massive event, feeling sick and worried. His PR person reframed the situation: “The whole world has turned its head to hear what you have to say. Do you have to say anything or not?”.
This changed his perspective: his agony became his opportunity. God allows storms to give an experience that nobody else gets, leading to an “uncanny anointing” and influence. The suffering puts the anointing in the voice to minister healing that couldn’t be obtained any other way.