Keep reminding yourself!

‘While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus” she said. But he denied it.’  Mark 14.66-68 This is one of the many painful details leading up to death of Jesus.  Peter, one of his closest friends, was challenged about whether he knew him, and by denying it abandoned Jesus.

We are in no position to judge Peter as most of us have probably never been directly challenged about our faith in such a hostile environment – and who knows how we would react in such a situation? However, this episode does present us with a challenge. Peter did not stick to what he knew, and the question is – do we?

It would be quite easy to lay on the guilt at this point and think about all the ways we have failed God, but instead let’s think about it another way. When else do we walk away from what we know? A common means of doing this is when we fail to rely on God’s immense love for us. His love is a foundation of our faith and something we are accustomed to hearing, singing and reading about, but despite all this we can be very quick to stop relying on it. This may be because we are struggling with a particularly challenging situation, or perhaps simply because we do not remind ourselves of God’s love.

Reminding ourselves of his never-ending stream of love is vital, precisely because there is so much in our world that tells us we are unloved and not special. Resting and relying on God’s love for us counteracts this and ensures that his love is the atmosphere that shapes and changes us.

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