I've often heard people preach countless sermons on Peter. I myself have
given advice and counseling on his story and have said here before that
I identify myself with him.
One of the sermons I often hear of Peter is of his before and after. Pastors speak of his brash and heedless persona when he was with Christ and his transformation into a level-headed leader after Christ's death. I am a before-Peter and I use to think that I too would develop the after-Peter character.
Nowadays, studying Peter closely I realize there is no before and after. Yes, we find a more mature Peter in Acts but it's not due to the fact that he changed his brash personality, but because of what he learned being that way.
I used to think that if God had given me a more introverted personality, I would be better and better suited to be His disciple. I hated the fact that introverted people do have weaknesses, just less public and noticeable than mine. And funny thing, I didn't know that introverted people wished they were more like me. C'est la vie, isn't it? God has a reason for how and why He makes us like we are.
Back to Peter.
We probably heard more stories of Peter's faux pas then any other disciples, but we also learned more from him than any other disciple as well.
I stumbled on a Peter moment I hadn't analyzed before that I wanted to share:
Peter could have just obeyed and let down the nets without saying anything; after all, he did so.
But he voices what's inside his heart.
"We worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.." It's like Peter saying: "You know, it feels dumb for me to do something I've already been trying hard to do with no results!"
Don't we feel that way with God sometimes?
Like what He is asking of us we've already tried to do and failed?
The frustration that comes from doing something again and again with no results!
Here is what I learned from this passage:
We do feel like Peter sometimes: "We've been working hard and caught nothing."
But what if he hadn't obeyed Christ and missed out on such a catch?
What if you give up on what God is asking of you because you get tired of no results, but then the ripe time God had for you to sow, you missed out because you forgot Who it was that was asking it from you?
"But because You say so..."
Here is where faith plays its role.
Are your eyes on the results or on Who is asking it of you?
What if a mother stops giving discipline to her child because she sees no results, but God was working on the child's heart?
What if a wife stops honoring and obeying her husband because he doesn't change, but God was transforming this man's mind?
What if a maiden stops waiting for the godly man God has for her to go after a man of the world, but God had a righteous man for her right around the corner?
And if only they had remembered Who it was that was asking it of them, they would have had a full ship.
Let's take our faith further:
What if we never stop obeying and never see results?
Well, isn't He the Creator and Owner of all things that no matter what, because HE says so, I must do??!!
If Peter hadn't said anything and just obeyed, he would have not realized were his faith was lacking.
We are human and, like Peter, we get weary of working hard with no catch.
But like Peter, we can learn to obey nevertheless because of Who Christ is and says.
And I, I am grateful God made me like I am, and that how I am makes me cling harder to Him for I am a sinful woman.
One of the sermons I often hear of Peter is of his before and after. Pastors speak of his brash and heedless persona when he was with Christ and his transformation into a level-headed leader after Christ's death. I am a before-Peter and I use to think that I too would develop the after-Peter character.
Nowadays, studying Peter closely I realize there is no before and after. Yes, we find a more mature Peter in Acts but it's not due to the fact that he changed his brash personality, but because of what he learned being that way.
I used to think that if God had given me a more introverted personality, I would be better and better suited to be His disciple. I hated the fact that introverted people do have weaknesses, just less public and noticeable than mine. And funny thing, I didn't know that introverted people wished they were more like me. C'est la vie, isn't it? God has a reason for how and why He makes us like we are.
Back to Peter.
We probably heard more stories of Peter's faux pas then any other disciples, but we also learned more from him than any other disciple as well.
I stumbled on a Peter moment I hadn't analyzed before that I wanted to share:
Luke 5:4-5
4 When He [Christ] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”
Peter could have just obeyed and let down the nets without saying anything; after all, he did so.
But he voices what's inside his heart.
"We worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.." It's like Peter saying: "You know, it feels dumb for me to do something I've already been trying hard to do with no results!"
Don't we feel that way with God sometimes?
Like what He is asking of us we've already tried to do and failed?
The frustration that comes from doing something again and again with no results!
Here is what I learned from this passage:
Luke 5:6-7
6
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that
their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so
full that they began to sink.
We do feel like Peter sometimes: "We've been working hard and caught nothing."
But what if he hadn't obeyed Christ and missed out on such a catch?
What if you give up on what God is asking of you because you get tired of no results, but then the ripe time God had for you to sow, you missed out because you forgot Who it was that was asking it from you?
"But because You say so..."
Here is where faith plays its role.
Are your eyes on the results or on Who is asking it of you?
What if a mother stops giving discipline to her child because she sees no results, but God was working on the child's heart?
What if a wife stops honoring and obeying her husband because he doesn't change, but God was transforming this man's mind?
What if a maiden stops waiting for the godly man God has for her to go after a man of the world, but God had a righteous man for her right around the corner?
And if only they had remembered Who it was that was asking it of them, they would have had a full ship.
Let's take our faith further:
What if we never stop obeying and never see results?
Well, isn't He the Creator and Owner of all things that no matter what, because HE says so, I must do??!!
If Peter hadn't said anything and just obeyed, he would have not realized were his faith was lacking.
Luke 5:8
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
But like Peter, we can learn to obey nevertheless because of Who Christ is and says.
And I, I am grateful God made me like I am, and that how I am makes me cling harder to Him for I am a sinful woman.
Luke5:10-11
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on
you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore,
left everything and followed him.
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