God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
—Romans 11:29, NLT
God calls you. He draws you. One
day in response to persistent prayer, you realize what God wishes from your
life. The realization of His will initially frightens you, but then
apprehension finally gives way to surrender. With surrender anticipation builds.
You live your purpose with fervent desire. You serve the Lord unquestionably,
and believe that what you offer makes a difference. You experience the joy and
fulfillment of knowing you are in the Lord's will. But in the midst of the joy
of service you unexpectedly deny something that calls for a deeper level of
commitment. You suddenly discover that you have failed Him. In guilt and grief
you question your worth.
“Lord,” you cry, “what should I
do?”
“Do you love me?” He asks. The
unanticipated question strikes hard. You might be Peter on the shore, leaning
over a bed of glowing embers, warming his cold hands, and remembering another
coal fire where he had failed Jesus.
“Yes, Lord,” you manage to respond. “You know I love you.”
He repeats the question two more times, and each time you answer, you are
abruptly aware of your failure. The Lord gently lifts your trembling chin to
peer into eyes that also once burned into Peter’s. It is at this moment your
failure is gone, and you, lost in His gaze, know you are forgiven. “If you love
me,” He says, “then feed my sheep.”
His words are a statement to the fact that you have been called. Lovingly
the Lord has brought you to your place of denial—your place of failure, and
then called for your sacrificial best so that you might understand that your
worth is not defined by your failure but is found in the humility of your
heart. What is the actual price of your sacrificial best? Being sold out to the
Master means that no price is too high to feed His sheep. You rise from the
misplaced altar of your coal fire, and you choose to make Him your altar. He is
your focus now, and not your failure.
Never allow failure to hinder you,
but to humble you. Continue to share Christ’s message, His heart, and His love.
Learn from your failure, and move on. Remember that “feeding the sheep” is not
about you. It is about loving Him. Leave the failure of your denial, just as
Peter did, and rise once more to His calling.
—From Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me
©
2017 Lynn Lacher
www.lynnlacher.com
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