In Christ

John 21:¹⁷ “A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” (emphasis added).

Jesus was saying to Peter, ‘From here on, I am going to put you in charge of my commission. Feed my sheep’. Jesus did not tell Peter to go on a sabbatical since he had gone through hell and high water. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Feed my sheep’. Peter’s call was grounded in Christ. When we read Peter’s story, we see ourselves. For instance, when you put up a group picture on social media, there may be eight people in the picture, but you mostly see yourself. So, if you look good, the picture is good. If you do not look good, the picture is a bad picture. What about the other seven people? Honestly, you do not care. So, when we read Pater’s story, we see ourselves. However, the story is not so much about Peter, as it is about Jesus. The story is about Jesus’ forgiveness, love, call, and freeing. It is about what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do.

When Jesus is at the centre, when He is the object of admiration, when we look at our past, we see His faithfulness and not our failures. If you look at Peter’s story from the lens of Jesus, you will see Jesus’ magnanimity to forgive someone who denied Him three times in one night even in front of a small girl. We see Jesus who is magnanimous enough to make that same person the head of His Church. We see a story of grace, love, commitment, and servitude (Jesus, cooking for His boys). How many leaders can cook for their followers? Some leaders believe that their followers should be the ones to cook for them. Sadly, that is the mentality a lot of leaders have.

When we see Jesus, we do not see our defeat, we see God’s victory. We do not see how bad we are, we see how good God is. We do not see the pressure that we face, we see the release that He causes. Your story is not a story about your failure but about God’s victory, hand, and love. Your story is for His glory. It is so important that as we take on the remaining days of this year, we keep Jesus at the centre of it all. When we look at our stories, we can actually see God working in our favour. In the story of Elisha and his servant (2 Kings 6:15-16), the mountain was surrounded by two forces. Elijah’s servant could see only one force, but Elisha could see the other forces, the chariots of the host of heaven. Elijah had to pray, Lord, open his eyes.

I pray that as you take on the remaining days of this year, God will open your eyes. You will let go of your past, and God will change your future in Jesus Mighty Name. You will accept that God’s grace is bigger than your past, and God saved you from your past so you can step into your future.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, take centre stage in my life—past, present, and future. Father, I ask for the grace to keep Jesus at the centre of it all consistently, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!