Courage For Today

peter

The Peace of Returning to Your First Love

Encouragement

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Revelation 2:4)

Complacency in life is something we all have to guard against.  It’s so easy to get in a comfort zone and lose sight of your true mission and calling in life.  When reading this verse in Revelation,  you see that Jesus was complimenting the Church of Ephesus on the longevity of their faith and some of their good deeds.  However, he was disappointed in them as they seemingly had forgotten their past and from where they had fallen.  They had gotten comfortable  and were not doing the things they had done at first—they had lost their Joy.  They had forgotten their excitement when they first met their Spiritual Bride–Christ himself.  In other words, they were just going through the motions of “playing church.”

I can identify with the Church of Ephesus.  There have been times when I’ve just gone through the motions of “Church World” and have even done what Peter did in John 21:3 when he said he was “going fishing.”  At that particular time, Peter showed us that he had temporarily lost his Joy and went back to what was comfortable to him.  We’ve all done this at one time or another.

The question is:  Are you going to stay comfortable and complacent, or are you going to return to your First Love and do what God has called you to do?

Courage Thoughts for Today:

  1. Think back on when you first accepted Christ as your Savior and how excited you were?
  2. Do you still have that same level of passion today?
  3. Have you gone back to what is comfortable in your life, rather than what you should be doing for Christ?
  4. What can you do, starting today, to return to your first love?

Other Posts You May Enjoy

[pt_view id=”760f7e8uyf”]

You Can Be of Good Courage

Strength

“Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait on the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)

As each of us goes through life, there are those unavoidable times when we look in the mirror and think God can’t use us or that we have nothing to offer.  Nothing could be farther from the truth to Him.  We can’t lose sight of the fact that our courage and faith is not based on title, education, or possessions.  In God’s eyes, it’s not who we are by virtue of what we have; rather, its whose we are by virtue of our relationship with God.

The best example I can think of is shown to us in Acts Chapter 4.  Peter and John were battling the religious establishment and stood firm against the wrath of the leaders.  We are shown how two ordinary, unschooled men were changed into life-changing representatives of our Lord.  It wasn’t a title or possessions that made Peter and John so courageous.  It was their time with Jesus and the relationship they had with Him that changed their lives and enabled them to touch the lives of others.

So, the question becomes, “how do we live our lives with the courage that Peter and John showed us in Acts, even if we feel like we have nothing to offer?”  Peter and John didn’t dwell on what they didn’t have and they didn’t concentrate on their prior failings.   It’s so easy to label ourselves, based on the past, and believe what we tell ourselves.  “I’m a failure.”  “I’m no good at this.”  “I’m not a very strong person.”  Once this label becomes part of you, then you begin to let that label control you.  Realize that there isn’t anything wrong with you.  You just need to decide how you want to be or what you want to do going forward and allow God to work in your life.

Don’t let your previous lack of courage become your present day reality.

Courage Thoughts for Today:

  1. How have I let my past failings control my present?
  2. What do I want to do or who do I want to be beginning today?
  3. What lies have I told myself that I will no longer believe starting today?

Other Posts You May Enjoy

[pt_view id=”760f7e8uyf”]

Why You Should Learn to Forgive Yourself

Forgiveness

One of the hardest issues we battle with as Christians is forgiving ourselves.  I don’t know about you, but I think sometimes it’s easier to forgive others for what they may have done to us rather than forgive ourselves for mistakes we’ve made in our own lives.  I’m not totally sure why that is, but I do know that if you’re out there struggling to forgive yourself, you’re not alone.  It isn’t a new phenomenon that applies only to you; the battle has been around as long as man has been on this earth.

I was re-reading John Chapter 21 today and realized what a perfect example this Chapter is of God’s never-ending love for us, no matter what we’ve done in our lives.  As background, Peter had already denied Christ three times and Jesus had already been crucified and resurrected.  There had been some sightings of Jesus after the resurrection but no one really knew what to expect next or if anyone would ever see Him again.

If you’re familiar with this particular story in John, you’ll remember that some of the Disciples were at the Sea of Tiberias.  Peter was one of those Disciples there that particular day.  I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that Peter was probably feeling guilty and ashamed and depressed about how he had denied Christ in the past.  Even though Peter was with his closest friends, that didn’t mask the fact that Peter still couldn’t see a way to repair the past and may have to live with those feelings the rest of his life.

It helps to remember that Peter was a true fisherman at heart.  I’ve known people in my own life that live, breathe, and sleep fishing.  They are at home on any lake or stream at any time.  On this particular day, Peter decided to go out and catch fish.  In fact, Peter did exactly what you and I do at times of trouble or when stress or guilt is unbearable—we go back to what’s comfortable.  Peter went back to what he was most comfortable with to (perhaps) find peace and solitude.  Fishing was a relief to Peter and I believe helped him to relax and erase some of his pain or guilt.  As Peter decided to go fishing, the other Disciples that were present decided to join him, but no one caught any fish.

As everyone was out in the boat fishing, they suddenly heard a voice off in the distance from someone standing on the shore.  The person on the shore was asking those in the boat if they had caught any fish.  The Disciples, not knowing who this person was, shouted back “no.”  This stranger on the shore then did a peculiar thing.  He instructed the Disciples to cast their net on the right side of their boat.  They did so and caught so many fish they couldn’t even haul in the net.  Shortly thereafter, some of the Disciples recognized the person on the shore was Jesus and pointed this out to Peter.  As soon as Peter heard this, he jumped in the water and swam toward the shore, toward Jesus.  I wonder what Peter was thinking as he swam to the shore?  Was he going to apologize to Jesus for denying him?  Was he going to ask if Jesus was angry with him?  Did he want Jesus to say some comforting words to him?  We can only speculate, but as soon as he began swimming, the other disciples that remained in the boat followed him to the shore, towing the net full of fish behind them.

As Peter swam closer, he could see that Jesus had already started a warm fire of coals and had some fish cooking on the fire, along with some bread.  He invited Peter and the other Disciples to bring some of the fish they had caught and have breakfast with him.  Before Peter could say anything to Jesus, or do anything to ease his own guilt or pain, Jesus was already there waiting with open arms! Peter didn’t have to do anything to make things right with Jesus; it was if nothing in the past had ever happened.

I think about my own life and how many times I have second guessed myself, made bad decisions, and wished I could make things right with God.  It helps me to remember the story about Peter all those years ago.  No matter how hard I try to erase what has happened and forgive myself for what I should or should not have done, God has already forgotten my mistakes and is there with open arms ready to welcome me.

I thought I would list some quick, practical suggestions, I’ve learned over the years that may help you with forgiveness:

  1. Don’t be afraid to forgive yourself.  This sounds simple but, sometimes, we hang on to the past—even when it hurts—for fear of being alone in the present or future.  Surround yourself with friends and loved ones that can support you as you sever the past and embrace the present/future.  Allow others to pray for you.
  2. Remember that forgiving yourself of the past doesn’t mean you have to forget the past.  It simply means you refuse to allow the past to control your emotions now.  Stop punishing yourself.
  3. Don’t hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else does.  We’re all imperfect and make mistakes.  Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus welcomed Peter back with no questions asked.  Embrace God’s Grace, as Peter did, and realize that nothing you’ve done will keep God from opening his arms to you.
  4. Realize that it’s OK to let go of other people’s expectations of you or what others have said about you.  You don’t have any control of what other people say and do.  It also helps to separate what you can control versus what you can’t control.
  5. Look for small things each day where God shows you how he is working in your life.  It may be a kind word from someone; an opportunity that presents itself; a chance for you to do something for someone.  Trust me, God shows you each and every day—you just have to be aware.  Keep a prayer journal or diary of what God shows you and teaches you each day.
  6. Surround yourself with positive verses and quotes.  Write your favorite versus on index cards and stick them on refrigerators; on your bathroom mirror; or in your car.  Place them everywhere possible so that you constantly see positive verses.  It’s amazing how this will change your perspective.
  7. Realize that forgiving yourself is a journey, not a destination.  Don’t fool yourself in believing that you can flip a switch, and you’re there.  It is a gradual process of baby steps.

May God bless you along your journey of forgiveness.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

[pt_view id=”760f7e8uyf”]