There are seasons when doing the right thing feels harder than it should.
You’re showing up. You’re trying to be faithful. You’re doing what you believe you’re supposed to do—and yet everything feels slow, heavy, and resistant. Like rowing against the wind and not getting very far.
That struggle is what we want to focus on here.
A familiar story, but a closer look
In Mark chapter 6, right after Jesus feeds thousands of people, He sends His disciples ahead of Him in a boat while He goes up alone to pray. Later that night, the disciples find themselves in the middle of the lake, exhausted and struggling as the wind pushes against them.
What stands out is this: Jesus sees them.
They aren’t so far away that their struggle goes unnoticed. He knows exactly where they are and how hard it is. And yet—He doesn’t immediately come to them.
All night long, they strain at the oars. It isn’t until just before dawn that Jesus finally steps onto the water and goes out to them.
Obedience doesn’t always feel easy
It would be one thing if the disciples had landed themselves in trouble by making a bad decision. But that’s not what happens here. They’re in this situation because they did exactly what Jesus told them to do.
That matters.
Sometimes we assume that if life feels hard, we must have taken a wrong turn. That resistance must mean we missed something. But this story reminds us that difficulty isn’t always a sign of disobedience. You can be right where you’re supposed to be—and still feel stuck, tired, and frustrated.
If that’s where you find yourself right now, you haven’t failed.
Jesus sees—before He moves
One of the hardest parts of this story is the waiting. Jesus sees the struggle “later that night,” but He doesn’t act until “shortly before dawn.”
That space in between can feel confusing. Why wait? Why let the strain continue?
The passage gives us a quiet clue: Jesus doesn’t rush from need to need. He stays in the place of prayer. He responds from communion with the Father, not pressure from the moment.
That’s where His help flows from.
Responding from prayer, not panic
We’re often quick to act. When a need shows up—at work, in our families, in relationships—our instinct is to jump in immediately. And while that desire usually comes from a good place, it can leave us drained, overwhelmed, or unsure.
Jesus models something different.
He takes time to be alone. He listens. He only does what He sees the Father doing.
What if we slowed down just enough to do the same?
A small pause that changes everything
This doesn’t require a long retreat or a perfectly quiet room. Sometimes it looks like stepping into your car for a moment. Finding a quiet corner. Taking a breath in the middle of a hard conversation.
A simple prayer:
Father, what are You doing here? What would You have me do?
That pause can shift everything. It keeps us from responding out of anxiety or obligation and allows us to act with clarity, peace, and direction.
When help comes from the right place
When we move out of prayer instead of pressure, we’re less likely to burn out or carry wounds we were never meant to hold. We begin to help others not just with effort, but with wisdom.
The disciples didn’t know it in the moment, but Jesus was already aware of their struggle—long before He stepped into the boat.
If the wind feels against you today, take heart. You are seen. The waiting isn’t wasted. And sometimes, the most faithful thing you can do is pause, listen, and trust that help will come—right on time.
