Just because Peter started to sink didn’t mean he failed. Here’s why: (1) Failure is not an event - only a judgment about an event. Failure is an indispensable part of learning. Sir Edmund Hillary made several attempts to scale Mount Everest before succeeding. After one such attempt he stood at the base of the mountain, shook his fist in defiance and shouted, ‘I’ll defeat you yet; you’re as big as you’re going to get, but I’m still growing!’ He learned something from every unsuccessful attempt, until one day he succeeded. Winston Churchill said, ‘I’ve never failed at anything in life. I was simply given another opportunity to get it right.’ What an attitude! (2) The real failures were still in the boat! They failed quietly and privately; their failure went unnoticed and un-criticized. Although Peter ‘crashed and burned’ publicly, he experienced two things: (a) The joy of walking on water. He alone knew how it felt to be empowered by God to do what he could never have done by himself. Once you’ve walked on water you never forget it; Peter would take this moment to his grave! (b) The joy of being lifted by Jesus in a moment of despair. Peter knew in a way the others couldn’t that, if he sank, Jesus would be there to save him. He shared a moment, a connection, a trust that the others didn’t. How could they, when they never left the boat? Failure doesn’t come from sinking - it comes from letting fear stop you from obeying God.