Wilson Soto

Life doesn’t ask for permission to throw storms our way. It comes with sickness, broken relationships, unexpected losses, and overwhelming worry. These moments often catch us off guard, and our natural response is to panic, to stress, or even to give up.

But when you develop a gritty mindset, a faith that doesn’t back down, you begin to see things differently. Grit changes your outlook. It shifts how you respond when the wind picks up and the waves start crashing.

Storms Are Not a Sign That God Has Left You

A gritty mindset doesn't pretend storms don’t happen. It knows life will get tough, but it chooses to see the storm through the lens of faith. Storms are not evidence that God has walked away. They are opportunities. Opportunities to grow, to trust deeper, and to witness God’s power firsthand.

The way you see the storm is shaped by how close you are to God. Your proximity to Him determines your perspective. And your perspective, what you choose to focus on, determines how you stand. Whether you sink or stand in victory depends on what you see and how closely you’re walking with Jesus.

Peter’s Storm: A Lesson in Focus and Faith

One of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, experienced this firsthand. He and the other disciples were in a boat crossing to the other side of a lake when a violent storm came out of nowhere. The waves rose high, the wind pushed against them, and fear took hold.

In Matthew 14:25, it says, “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” But when the disciples saw Him, they were terrified and thought He was a ghost. Jesus responded immediately: “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Then Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replied, “Come.”

Peter stepped out of the boat in the middle of the storm. He did the impossible. He walked on water. As long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus, he walked in the miracle. But the moment he looked away, when he shifted his focus from Jesus to the wind and the waves, he began to sink.

He cried out, “Lord, save me!” and immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter’s experience shows us that focus is everything. He didn’t sink because the storm got worse. He sank because he took his eyes off Jesus.

So the question is: Where are your eyes focused right now?

Proximity to God Shapes Your Perspective

Peter’s proximity to Jesus determined what he could see and what he could do. The closer he was, the more power he walked in. The moment that proximity was broken, even just by a shift in focus, he began to fall.

Some of us are so close to our problems that we've lost sight of God's power. We’ve allowed our current struggles to define us. And when that happens, our identity gets wrapped up in pain instead of purpose.

Maybe you were abused when you were younger, and that pain has shaped your view of yourself. Maybe you went through a divorce, and it still casts a shadow over your future. Maybe you grew up in poverty, and that mindset still tells you that you’ll never have enough.

But that is not who you are.

Those things happened to you, but they don’t define you. The storm doesn’t get to name you. Your identity is not in the waves or the wind. It’s in the One who walks on them.

The closer you draw to God, the clearer you will see His power. The more you lean into prayer, the more you press into worship, the more you anchor yourself in His Word, the more clearly you will see His provision and peace in your life.

When your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you won’t sink. You’ll stand. You won’t fall. You’ll walk in the miraculous.

So stand firm. Get gritty. Fix your focus.

Because grit, anchored in God, positions you to overcome whatever life throws your way.