So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” John 21:15 NKJV
There is no disputing that Peter failed dismally during part of his journey as a follower of Christ. Having overconfidently sworn to stand by Jesus in His hour of severe trial, Peter went on to deny His Master shamefully (see Matthew 26:75). Around the same time, he also tried to impulsively defend Jesus with a sword, and then proceeded to flee and hide. Denial, betrayal, flight and hiding-there is no clearer failure than that!
Yet, per our Scripture today, Jesus does not give up on Peter. He seeks him out and restores him. Jesus further entrusts the feeding of His flock into Peter’s hands. He does not judge Peter on the basis of his previous failure. Observe that Peter denies Christ three times and Christ reassures Peter three times as well. There is no greater endorsement than that, beloveds.
I believe the main reason here is that Jesus sees a difference between the fact of failure and the person. You are not equal to your failure. Your mistakes and blunders in life, bad as they are, should not and do not define you. Be able to make a distinction between your problem and your person. You and your problems are totally different things!
Don’t make the huge mistake of confusing your problem with your person (yourself). Create a gap between you and your issues. Don’t describe yourself in terms of your past mistakes, problems, issues or circumstances. The love and grace of God overshadows your faux pas. You’re not a failure!
Pastor Josh