Did you know that none of us are actually lost even during the times we feel lonely or seem to be walking aimlessly through life? Jesus knows right where you are, he knows how to get your attention and he knows how to call out the treasures in you to reveal the truth of your heart.
Remember the first time Jesus met Simon? Jesus gazed into him and declared a bold prophetic truth to a man longing for purpose, “You are Simon and your father’s name is John, but from now on you will be called Cephas (which means Peter the Rock).” (John 1:42)
I can almost hear Peter’s thoughts, “Hey, that’s pretty awesome! I have no idea what Jesus really meant by that, but it sure felt good. There’s something very different about this man. He has an authority unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and I can tell he genuinely loves me. I don’t know how that’s possible since we just met, but it’s undeniable. If this man thinks I am somebody, then it must be true! I’m Peter, the Rock!”
Isn’t this what happens to each one of us? We felt lost because we were wandering through life without an awareness of Jesus and the security of knowing we belong to him. Yet at some point in time, something in our spirit grabbed onto the truth that Jesus is the real deal and he’s the One we’d been missing all along. We discover we weren’t lost at all! Jesus always had his steady gaze upon us and was wooing our hearts to him. In a moment of God-breathed revelation we were suddenly convinced, “I’m loved! I’m wanted! I belong! I’m forgiven! Oh, Jesus!!!”
We were flooded with exhilaration and relief. But this initial and well-founded euphoria gave way to the constant demands of life and an awareness that we’re not yet the truest version of who Jesus says we are. What happened?
I want to say to you right now, you didn’t do anything wrong! This is all part of the plan. Choosing to follow Jesus doesn’t mean we suddenly know the depths of his heart—that takes a lifetime. And it’s actually the most rewarding part of knowing Jesus.
Back to Peter the Rock…just because he chose to follow Jesus didn’t mean he had arrived in life! He made plenty of mistakes along the way and Jesus was very direct with him at times, revealing to Peter the core values of God’s Kingdom (love, grace, honor, etc.) and challenging him so he would embrace his truest self.
It’s essential to our growth that we understand love without truth isn’t real love and truth without love isn’t real truth. Jesus always loved Peter and he also spoke the truth needed to set Peter free. He does the same with us. This is what it means for Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. Yes, he died to save us from our sins so He is most certainly our Risen Savior, but he also came to lead us into a place of wholeness that can only come as he challenges false belief systems within us and points to the core issues in our hearts that don’t believe who he says we are. Only if we yield to Jesus as Lord will we continually allow him access to our hearts and process the directness of his truth spoken to us—truth that we need to hear in order to experience the fullness of the freedom he intends for us to walk in.
After three years of growth being with Jesus, Peter was able to see the truth about Jesus in a way he couldn’t before. Peter needed time with Jesus, a shared history with him—just like we do—to be able to say, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”
So often we’re more concerned with where we are in life or how we think we’re doing instead of who we’re spending it with. Jesus wants to do life with you! And no matter where you are in your journey with Jesus, there are always new places to go with Him.
Giving your heart to Jesus is a decision made in a moment, but it’s also a lifetime growth curve of discovering the nuances of his heart and why he’s so trustworthy and good all the time. It’s a fantastic journey and well worth a lifetime!
With Love,
Pastor Brent
I shared more about this last Saturday night. You can listen to it here:
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