Who are you? How would you describe yourself? When you talk about yourself to others, what do you say?
Too
often we are defined by our mistakes, by ourselves and others. We are
guilty of labeling others as well. He is an addict. She can't control
her anger. They can't hold down jobs. Are these mistakes really who we
are? Are they the sum of us?
One
of the acts that Peter, the Apostle and Prophet, is best known for is
his denial of Christ on the night of His betrayal. Is that all that he
is, a follower turned faithless man? Obviously not! Would Christ later
have trusted Peter with the welfare of His church as well as with all of
the keys of the kingdom if that were all he was? Unfortunately, who
Peter was gets lost in his moment of wavering commitment to the defense
of his Master.
Peter's
life was filled with faith. He walked on water on faith. He jumped to
Christ's defense in the Garden of Gethsemane, slicing off the ear of a
guard. He was among the first to visit the sepulchre on the morning of
the resurrection. He led the Church, growing and strengthening it
through his ministry and up to his martyrdom. He served in the face of
adversity and death, never regretting his decision. Peter was more than
his mistake.
Am I?
Are you?
We are children of our Father. We have the potential to be as He is. We have the power to overcome our mistakes and to learn from them. These mistakes may not define us but they do provide opportunities to humble ourselves and to repent. They provide us with the motivation to change and to become better than we are. Like Peter, we must act on faith, doing what we know to be right and following the Lord's example. Our mistakes are in our past and our future is spread ahead of us. It’s up to us to be more than our mistakes.
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