"If you have heard Jesus Christ's voice on the billows, let your convictions go to the winds, let your consistency go to the winds, but maintain your relationship to Him." (Oswald Chambers)
Peter was in the boat, Jesus was on the land. All appearances aside, Peter jumps into the sea, going to Jesus as fast as he can. No thought of his safety, no thoughts of what others might think, only getting to where Jesus stood without delay. Complete abandonment to Christ.
Peter has just been through another kind of abandonment. He denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion. His thoughts of personal safety and what others thought of him overpowered him to such an extent that his whole being recoiled from that previous situation.
From the safety of the boat to the safety of the shore, there is an unknown area, filled with what ifs and maybes. Peter was willing to chance it simply because Jesus was there at the end, waiting for him. He knew who Jesus was, and he knew that was the Person he wanted to be with.
But then there is the rest of the story. Peter is asked about his love for Jesus, three times, and is restored. His abandonment is vindicated.
So the question is for me. Where am I on this continuum of abandonment? Am I sitting in the boat, knowing who the Man is on the shore, but working on my own to get to Him in the safety of the craft?
Peter's life was changed, don't I want mine to be also?
Abandonment is a serious thing.
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