Epic Fail

My daughter has picked up this new phrase since going to college. It makes me laugh, and I like being able to not take failure so seriously. So I thought it would make a good title for this post.

"And you are those who have stood by me in my trials" Luke 22:28

How can Jesus make such a statement to these disciples just after they had been caught arguing about who was the greatest?! I know that Jesus isn't lying, but how can He say this? Really? In just a little while these men will abandon him, scatter like sheep and leave Him alone. Jesus knew perfectly well what was going to happen, even giving Peter the details of how he would deny knowing Him. They may fail Him in the near future, but they are not always going to be so cowardly. Soon they'll be speaking boldly in front of all audiences, going to prison, being tortured and killed. The name of Jesus will rock the known world because these men will fearlessly speak of Him.

Does the Lord speak confidently because He knows the power of God to transform them? Is that how He is able to look beyond severely disappointing behavior of those closest to Him and not be discouraged by their failures?

Everyday I am the recipient of this hopeful confidence. The Lord makes this outrageously hopeful statement about us: "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Ephesians 1:4). I certainly don't feel holy and blameless, I absolutely don't act it and would never think of myself that way, but I believe He sees me that way. My failures cannot limit the hope of what He does to change me.

Might we, in turn, show this same attitude towards our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our husbands when they disappoint us? It's hard not to get caught up in all the negative, not to focus on the failures. Can we go so far as to say positive things, no matter how outrageous they may seem? Can we speak hope to them without dwelling on their mistakes, and not wonder if we are lying? Can we look to the future, not on the basis of their ability to change, but on the basis of knowing Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His resurrection power?

Five Minutes of Faith

Try to imagine yourself in a boat with the disciples, emotions are heightened, exhaustion has set in, waves are beating the boat and tossing you about. Suddenly, you see a shape walking on the water. As if being in the storm wasn't scary enough, you are all thoroughly frightened now by what you think is a ghost. The ghost says that he is Jesus and Peter asks the Lord to command him to walk out to meet him.

How in the world did such an insane idea occur to Peter?

What a miracle that he was able to walk on the water even for a short time before fear of the winds sent him sinking!

From the comfort and safety of my chair, I find it easy to think "Peter, you were going so well, what happened?"

But if I had been on that boat, I would have been shouting at Peter over the noise of the storm "are you nuts, what are you trying to do? Don't get out of the boat!"

You have to give it to him, it took some gutsy faith to step out on that water. True, it was just a flash of faith, but what a fantastic faith it was. I can't be critical of Peter's failure since fear and doubt keep me from "stepping out out of the boat" all the time.

The Lord said to Peter after rescuing him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

If Peter's faith was little, what is mine like?

Oh that I could have bursts of flashy faith like Peter's than no faith at all!

Lot Lingered

I was reading Lot's story in Genesis 19 and I noticed something curious that I hadn't noticed before.

After the angels tell Lot to get out of town FAST because the city was about to be punished, he lingers. Imagine this were a movie, we'd all be on the edge of our seats thinking "what are you waiting for, GO!". Lot doesn't move. Instead, the angels grabbed the whole family by the hand and brought them out of the city "for the Lord was merciful to him".

I had always been taught to imitate Lot's righteous behavior, that, because Lot was righteous, he was saved. At least, he seemed more righteous than the others of Sodom. Maybe he was the only righteous one left, but that didn't save him. In the end, it was only God's mercy that did.

Why in the world would Lot hesitate? Then again, why in the world would I? How often do I linger when I most definitely ought to run? How often has God in His mercy grabbed me by the hand and rescued me from the destruction of my own sin when I had refused to leave it myself? I linger because I don't truly believe in God's wrath. If I saw my sin in light of God's holiness, if I understood just how much God hates my sin, I would "work out my salvation in fear and trembling". (Phil. 2:12) I would say to myself 'Don't be stupid, my "God is a consuming fire"'( Dt 4:24, Heb. 12:29).

There is no greater joy than to know that our children walk with the Lord. But I wonder if we are trusting that if they just behave more righteously than all those around them, they will avoid sin. Will that be enough to deter them from doing the wrong thing, from lingering until it is too late? Neither being lulled into a self-righteous complacency, nor fearing our punishment more than God's, will produce the ultimate change of heart we seek in our children. If, however, we help them gain a correct view of God's holiness and mercy, they just might not be so quick to play with fire and so slow to get out of a burning building.

So how do we teach a proper view of God? In addition to living it by example, an honest review of the Old Testament is a wonderful place to start.