I don’t know why, but I’ve had Peter on my mind so much over the past couple of weeks. He’s remembered for many things, but more often than not, he is remembered for his failures.
Peter left the boat by faith, only to sink into the water when fear took over. He proclaimed that he would never desert Jesus, but denied Him three times before a rooster crowed twice. Peter’s life shows us that having doubts or even failing at times doesn’t mean we lack faith. True faith is continuing to come back to Jesus when we fall.
What is so powerful about Peter is not that he never displayed weaknesses or made mistakes; it’s that his relationship with Jesus Christ survived them all. When we think of Peter, what stands out in the story is Jesus’ patience and love toward him. Jesus had every reason to turn His back on Peter, and many did. But when Peter failed, Jesus picked him back up. When Peter sank beneath the waves in fear, Jesus extended His hand and pulled him out. When Peter denied knowing Jesus Christ, Jesus did not turn him away. Instead, after His resurrection, Jesus sought Peter out on the Sea of Galilee and restored that relationship.
Peter denied the Lord three times, and each time Jesus responded by asking Peter if he loved Him. Peter learned that day that God’s grace outweighs our failures every single time.
Many of us can relate to Peter. We want to fully trust God, but we are afraid. We make commitments we can’t always keep. We go through seasons when our faith is weak and timid. But what Peter’s life teaches us is that Jesus wasn’t looking for perfection. He was simply looking for the willing.
The same God who rescued Peter from the sea and restored him after he failed is reaching out His hand to you and me today. Our weaknesses don’t have the final say in our lives. God can use our failures to showcase His grace and do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.
I don’t know about you, but that gives me great comfort. Instead of living afraid to trust God, I want to live afraid not to trust God. He is so good, friends, and His character is fully revealed through Jesus.
This world will always disappoint us. The safest place is to believe, even when we cannot see all the evidence, and to move forward with courage. Not perfect faith, but simply a willingness to believe.
That’s all it takes.
That’s all.
That’s enough.
James