Feed my Sheep
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Denying Jesus
Have you ever found yourself doing something you told God you would never do again? I am writing this in January, and I wonder how many of you reading this are already struggling with your new year’s resolutions? I was supposed to be doing certain exercises daily and I have already fallen behind. These are goals I set for myself. These are things I want to do. Yet, somehow I allow other things to take its place. Spiritual matters are no different, if not even worse. In my last couple of posts (Better Habits and Prioritizing Prayer) I have been emphasizing not only the need for spiritual growth but also some practical ways to go about it. What surprises me, and it really shouldn’t at this point, is how difficult it can be to consistently spend quiet time with God in prayer and Bible study.
But this is nothing new. Being faithful to God has never been easy and abiding in Jesus (more on the topic of abiding in the following posts Hidden in my Heart, The Simple Answer, Speaking of Love, Tutti Frutti, more options here) has always been a challenge. But the principle of abiding in Christ is the key to a successful Christian life. I love to revisit this topic because everything else relates to it.
Peter struggled with this too. Even Peter, who was there by Jesus’ side, listening to His teachings and witnessing His miracles, even Peter who said he would never deny Jesus did so three times!
So if even the great Peter failed at constantly and continually abiding in Jesus and went so far as denying Jesus, is there any hope for me?
There is hope! It turns out there is a blessing for those who realize that they are poor in spirit! Ultimately, our failure to do what we tell ourselves and even God that we are going to do is a reminder of our poverty of spirit. We fall, we rebel, we deny Jesus, we are poor in spirit. We do not deserve to be saved. We are not good enough. If you feel like you are poor in spirit, if you feel like you are not good enough, your feelings are accurate. It is true, you are not good enough.
The disciples were not good enough. Peter, who some consider having been their leader, denied Jesus three times! What hope is there for any of us?
The hope is in God, as always. It is God who began this work in you, and it is He who will complete it. Your part is simply recognizing you are spiritually poor and turning to God. just keep turning your eyes upon Jesus, and let Him equip you and strengthen you and forgive and cover and supply all your needs.
You may wonder why the Bible would record this embarrassing episode from the life of one of the great leaders of Christianity. I believe it is because in order to be a true follower of Jesus you must be real, authentic, transparent, and not fake or hypocritical. There is no room for hypocrites.
Failure to recognize our constant need for God and our tendency to fail will lead to spiritual arrogance.
Spiritual arrogance is what you really need to be afraid of. There is hope for those who fail so long as they turn to Jesus. But the spiritually arrogant will go through life thinking they are good enough and tragically might not find out the truth about themselves until the day of judgment (Matthew 7:23). Not only that, spiritual arrogance drives away others who are searching for Jesus.
Restored
Jesus wanted to restore Peter and He wants to restore you!
The main thing that Jesus wanted to know was whether Peter still loved Him. Jesus already knew the answer, but it was important for Peter to say it out loud. Peter needed to tell Jesus that he loved Him. Not because Jesus didn’t know, but because Peter needed to remind himself of that fact. Sure, Peter messed up big time. But if he still loved Jesus, Jesus had a mission for him.
Jesus knew that Peter had messed up, the same way that Jesus knows that you have messed up. Jesus had to go looking for Peter to restore him, because Peter probably counted himself out, considering himself unworthy. Though it is true that Peter was not worthy, Jesus was interested in restoring him. Jesus’ interest in you has nothing to do with your worthiness. It is all about His love for you. But Jesus does not only love you, He loves those around you. So when Jesus restores you, He restores you to ministry. Jesus calls you to ministry. Jesus saves you for ministry.
God’s Desire
God desires to save you. Not only that, whenever you fall short God desires to restore you. God wants you to grow. Spiritual growth is about God’s desire for you, God’s plans for your life, and God’s work in your heart. If we fail to acknowledge this spiritual growth turns into an affirmation of human achievement or spiritual athleticism.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
Spiritual growth is about what God is doing in your life. Your part is remaining humble with a teachable spirit. Remember that in your spiritual journey you are constantly subject to complications and challenges. But notice how Jesus shifts the focus away from Peter’s failures and calls him to a mission with the statement “Feed my sheep.”
God wants us to become involved in the ministry He is accomplishing in the world. Our study of the Bible should equip us for service, to minister to those around us.
Don’t turn inward.
Don’t turn inward in your study of the Bible. Don’t focus on just your life, but rather notice the transformation that God is bringing about in you as a preparation for you to engage in ministry. As you draw closer to God and as God transforms your life, realize He is equipping you to e gage your community in more compelling ways.
