It’s one of life’s paradoxes. Trees need wind to blow against them, so that their root systems develop deeply and laterally and the tree is supported as it grows. On the other hand, the taller the tree grows, the more the wind blows.
In our lives we are going to be tossed around by winds but those winds are necessary for us to develop our characters and be able to stand tall and strong, but when we stand tall and strong, the more we are going to be buffeted by trials and problems!
Jesus understood this and went to lengths to prepare his disciples for the challenges coming against them. When they were in the boat and were being tossed about mercilessly on the lake, Jesus slept on. It was only when He was roused that Jesus commanded the wind to be still and then taught His disciples that they, too, had the faith to manage the situation. “Where is your faith?” He had asked. (Matt. 8)
On another occasion when the disciples were struggling in the strong wind Jesus came to them walking on the water. Peter got out of the boat, walked towards Jesus until he looked away from Jesus and started to sink. At this point Jesus told Peter that he had very little faith and why did he doubt? (Matt. 14)
These were 2 very carefully scripted incidents for Jesus to prepare His disciples for tackling life without Him. It wasn’t Jesus’ intention to teach them of the potential power they could have over the environment so much as teaching them that if they had even a very little faith, they could achieve anything. Jesus later actually told them this when He said that if they had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, then they could command a mountain to jump into the sea and it would. (Matt. 21)
Like the disciples, we need reminding that Jesus is always present and always in control. We need to have the tiniest amount of faith that He will answer our prayers. If it was hard for the disciples to manifest that faith and they were in the company of Jesus, how much harder it is for us, but Jesus doesn’t excuse us. He has promised to be with us always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:19-20)
So to summarise, we each have unlimited power in God which is available to us now if we can but use our faith to overcome all the winds and tempests that threaten us as we go to all peoples and make them His disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded us.