Stepping Out of the Boat Again

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

— 2 Timothy 1:7

A few days ago, I met someone I hadn’t seen in years—a high school classmate. Back then, she was bubbly, confident, and full of life. We wrote songs together for competitions, sang our hearts out, and were even chosen as part of our school chorale. More than that, we served in church, using our voices to worship God.

When I saw her again, something felt different. She was quieter, a little shy—almost as if she had tucked away the version of herself I once knew. Her older sister gently shared that maybe she just needed someone to encourage her again, to help her step out of her shell and regain her confidence. She wasn’t singing anymore. She wasn’t using the gifts God had given her.

That moment stirred something in my heart.

I realized that gifts, when practiced and exercised, grow and flourish. But when neglected, they don’t disappear—they simply become dormant. Stagnant. Waiting.

God never takes back the gifts He gives, but He invites us to steward them.

I once read a line that struck me deeply: “To give anything less than your gift is to sacrifice the gift.” 

God has already provided the strength, the opportunity, and the grace we need. What remains is our choice—to move, to obey, to step out of our comfort zone and return to the One who gave us those gifts in the first place.

This reminded me of Peter. When Jesus called him to step out of the boat, Peter didn’t wait until the water felt safe. He stepped out in faith. The safety was in the boat, but the miracle was not. The miracle was in obedience, in faith, in moving toward Jesus.

Maybe some of us have gone quiet.

Maybe we’ve stopped singing.

Stopped teaching.

Stopped writing.

Stopped serving.

Stopped dreaming.

Not because God changed—but because we stayed in the boat.

Not because God took our gift away, but because fear, disappointment, or time convinced us to stay in the boat.

Today, God might be gently calling us again.

“Get out of the boat.”

“Use what I gave you.”

“Trust Me with your gift.”

Today, God may be calling us again—not to be perfect, but to be faithful. To give our best. To trust Him enough to step out.

Let us return our gifts to the One who gave them. Let us get out of the boat again.