The Impermanence of Failure

I love Jesus' apostle, Peter.  I love his enthusiasm ... his passion ... his willingness to step up and step out. 

Watch the pattern ...

Matthew 4: 18 - 20  "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'  At once they left their nets and followed Him."

Matthew 14: 25 - 29  (In the midst of a storm on the Sea of Galilee) "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid.'
                                   'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.'
                                   'Come,' he said.
                                   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

Matthew 16: 13 - 16  "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'
                                    They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'
                                    'But what about you?' he asked.  'Who do you say I am?'
                                    Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'  ...
                                    Jesus replied ... 'I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'

And as Jesus was preparing his disciples for his coming death and departure, it was Peter who said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."  (Luke 22:33)

When Matthew reports that conversation, he says, (Matthew 26: 31 - 33)
                                   "Then Jesus told them, 'This very night you will all fall away on account of me.'
                                    Peter replied, 'Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.'"

As a person who is naturally cautious ... as a person who struggles with decision making ... I love Peter! 

And then we watch him fail so miserably.  All four of the gospel writers tell of Peter's verbal denial of any association with Jesus.  They all report Peter's presence in the courtyard when Jesus was being set up by the phony "trial" and his vehement attempt to disassociate himself from Jesus.  What?!  Peter?!  The same man we watched and heard stand by his Lord? 

Yes.  The same man.  The same Peter.  And failure struck its blow. 

Have you ever been there?  Has some failure made its bitter mark on and in your life?  I suspect so.  We live with our failures.  In fact, they mark us and teach us probably more than our successes do.  The reason this is not depressing is we can know how Peter dealt with his failure ... and how Jesus responded to Peter's failure ... and what Jesus is doing right now for you and me! 

Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:32  "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."  Peter's behavior failed but Jesus prayed that his FAITH would not fail!  And indeed, Peter's FAITH did not fail.  Peter did turn back.  And went on to strengthen, not only his brothers in his own lifetime, but the myriad of believers that have followed him in the subsequent generations. 

But that was Peter, right?  And you are you.  Listen to Hebrews 7: 24 - 25:

                     But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 
                     Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God
                     through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus is praying for you as well.  Right now.  In spite of your failures.  He prays that your FAITH will not fail.  That means you and I can walk with confidence today.  Our confidence is in the knowledge that our failures and sin, when confessed with repentance, are forgiven and that our Lord continually lives to intercede for us.  Remarkable, no?  Don't stay beaten down by past failure.  Get up.  Resolve to walk in the presence of our Lord - held up and strengthened by Him. 

I love the words in one of the songs we sing ...

Thou O Lord

Art a shield about me

You're my glory

You're the lifter of my head.

Head's up my friends!  Because of Jesus ...



                                   

Growth

Watching TV commercials gives insight into the kinds of things we Americans value.  And among that list is the passion for looking and acting young.  The creams and potions and hair products and vitamins and medications are all targeted at our desire to look younger and to act younger than we are.  It represents a multi-million dollar a year industry.  It reminds me of Peter Pan's "I won't grow up" mantra.  And I find myself right in the middle of it all.  I decided some time ago to NOT keep up with the amount of money I spend on hair and face products! 

But ... what is it that makes us want to be perpetually "young"?  It seems to spill over into behaviors and attitudes as well as looks.  Scripture values growing up ... maturing ... not staying perpetually "young".  While Jesus commends innocent, child-like faith, He never condones spiritual immaturity and childishness. 

Listen to Paul in Ephesians 4: 14 - 15:  "We are no longer to be children, ... we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ"

And Peter in 2 Peter 3:18:  "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity."

Maturity ... a thing to be desired!

When writing to the Corinthian church, Paul says to those believers: "I could not speak to you as to spiritual me, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ."  And this was not a good thing!
The believers in Corinth were not maturing ... they were not growing up spiritually.  One evidence of the immaturity was the existence of jealousies and strife among them.  Hmmmmmm

Growth matters.  Spiritual growth is of utmost importance for the believer.  Maturing spiritually is a good thing.  Not only is it not to be avoided ... it is to be pursued with passion!  Are you growing?  Visualize yourself a couple of years ago ... are you more mature in your faith today?  What gives evidence of that maturing? 

I know some of the excuses that can be given for lack of growth ...

          I can't worry about that until my life smooths out a little.  After all, my schedule is wayyy too hectic right now.  Spiritual growth is for people who don't have anything to do but sit around and "contemplate" and study.  I don't have the time for that.  Sure, I want to ... but just look at my calendar!

          It's not my fault.  No one ever cultivated the proper soil in my life for spiritual growth.  My family of origin was a mess.  My dad was interested in nothing but his work.  No one taught me how and now it's too late.  My spouse doesn't care about it ... how in the world am I supposed to put any focus on spiritual growing?  It's not my fault.

          The relationships in my life are much too complicated and messy and volatile right now.  I can't be expected to think about anything else until those things smooth out - until my life gets easier. 

Reader, you could most likely add a host of additional reasons why we think that spiritual growth cannot happen in our own lives.  But when I get lazy about it - when I get discouraged about it - when I decide it cannot happen because my life is too hard .... I remember a tree on Colorado Highway 135 ... and I remember that God has promised to complete the good work (of maturing me in faith) that He began (Philippians 1:6).  He will grow me up, mature me spiritually!  What I have to do is submit myself to His good hand.  And we will grow ... even in hard places! 

 
     My life, your life - they are not too hard for us to grow in our faith.  Re-commit to it ... today!                                                                             

Reminder from a Loon

I watched a loon navigate a stream today. 

There is a stream that runs behind this house in Colorado.  Because of the late spring snows, all of the rivers in the area are running very high and fast - even the little stream behind the house.  It does not often have "white water" in it.  But this summer is different.  It is swirling. tumbling, rushing headlong down the mountain.
And today there was this loon.  At least, I think it was a loon.  After checking my "Birds of the Rocky Mountains" book, that is my best determination.  The common loon - Gavia immer - "a serene symbol of wilderness".  

I marveled at his ability to navigate the fast water.  It was rough with great potential to take him under.  He was perched on top of the water and the water was carrying him downstream.  When he came to a section that was particularly rough, he stretched his neck up, beak to the sky, and rode the rough water until he had safely passed through it. 

Our lives have so many rough places - places that have the potential to take us under.  Are you in just such a place right now?  How are we to navigate through tumultuous times?  Even Jesus acknowledged the surety of struggles when He was talking about  our tendency to worry over what might happen.  He said in Matthew 6:34 that "each day has enough trouble of its own."  We can all give testimony to the reality of that statement!   So how do we navigate?

I think we perhaps need to take a lesson from the loon.  Keep your head and eyes up ...

Hebrews 12: 1 - 3   Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before hi endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

2 Corinthians 4: 17 - 18        For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

The loon knew by instinct how to navigate through the rough water.  Head up - beak to the sky - and ride through it.  We, too, can know how to navigate the rough places in our lives - not by instinct but by instruction.  Heads up - eyes fixed on our Lord - and ride through the hard place. 

I love the chorus that says,

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

So - heads up, my friends - eyes fixed on Jesus - and the rough waters you must navigate will grow strangely dim in the light His glory and grace. 



Thirst

My home town of Houston is suffering from drought this summer.  We did not experience the usual spring rains that keep the trees green and the flowers in bloom.  Therefore the ground is hard, plants are not growing ... in fact, they are dying unless someone is consistently watering them.  Trees are reaching that critical point where the reserves of their own moisture have been exhausted.  Without water they will die.  Without water, growth and life and beauty cannot exist. 

Listen to Jesus as He speaks with a woman at a water well in Samaria.  The words are found in John 4: 13 - 14.   Everyone who drinks this water will be thristy again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.      

Jesus uses the same picture in John 7: 37 - 39:  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were later to receive. 

Are you thirsty?  Do you ever see yourself as one of the plants that are withering because of a lack of water?  How is your spirit?  Are you growing?  Jesus knows that we all long for fulfillment and satisfaction.  And Jesus knows where that satisfaction comes from.  So He uses the image of thirst ... of longing for water.  And then He lets us know that the way to quench the thirst is through Him and His Spirit. 

Are you applying the water of life, the person of Jesus to fill you and satisfy you?  It is a daily process.  As many of us take breaks from our usual routines this summer, we must be vigilant to not take a recess from spending time with our Lord ... listening to Him ... being quiet in His presence ... taking in His Word.  We do not have to experience a drought in our soul ... apply the water of the person of Christ to your soul today ... and tomorrow ... but begin today. 

Near the end of the Bible is a splendid passage that thrills me every time I read it.  In fact, it is one of the passages I have written on an index card to keep in the forefront of my mind.  Thrill with me to these words and this promise ...

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"  And let him who hears say, "Come!"  Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.     Revelation 22:17

A free gift ... the water of life ... a gift from God.   Thank you Lord! 
(And I pray for rain in south Texas)