He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?”And he said to Him “Lord, You know all things you know that I love You.”
Have you ever noticed that its easier to serve the Lord at moments of strength? Sometimes we claim to love God with all our heart; we cheerfully serve the Lord with gladness- not by obligationy; We serve Him because it is a pleasure, not because we should; We consider others more important than ourselves, we’ll even give the shirt right off our back and go “without” so someone else can “go with.” But before you know it, we fail and we fail hard. We find ourselves with a bad attitude; we find ourselves being selfish and tired of being “Christ-like.”
No! Not me!
But it’s true. We stop obeying God as a willing son, and instead obey God as an obligated servant. We don’t want to obey, but we have to.
And how does the perfect Son of God react? “If you can’t love as I do, then you’re none of Mine!? My way of perfection at all times, or the highway of destruction for you!?”
No. Not our Jesus. He knows that without Him we can do nothing. He brings us back through His Holy Spirit and His Word. Soon we find ourselves operating this supernatural life in our own strength. We find that this is an impossible thing to do. We go from being godly to wicked; and it breaks our hearts. Then, humbled, we repent. So we say, “God, I want to love You as You want me to love You, but I’ve only got this much. Please work with me. Please bring the increase. Please help me. I need You.”
Once again we find ourselves desperate, dependent, and finally moldable. God can work gently with clay that is soft.
Soon after we find ourselves in that sweet place of loving people and God at His level of Love. The Love of Christ.
So trust God that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
