All Things NewSample

A Life of Surrender

The time Peter has spent with Jesus has transformed him. He has seen miracles, walked on water, witnessed Jesus love the unloved, and has moved from fisherman to fisher of men. He cannot imagine ever leaving Jesus and he doesn’t understand the dark days that are coming.

It is hard to imagine being put in a situation where you might deny knowing Jesus. We hear about persecution of Christians and the places where it is dangerous to follow Christ, but for most of us, we feel confident in saying, as Peter did, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”

It is easy to imagine our faithfulness and loyalty to Christ when our trust isn’t tested.

In today’s world maybe it’s more likely to deny Christ in what seems like smaller ways. A little lie because the truth will cause problems, getting tired of waiting for God to change something so we rush in with our own fix, cheating on a test or taxes and disregarding the needs of other- all these actions tell the world that we don’t trust Jesus to be Lord and if we don’t trust him, do we really even know him?

These may not be physically life threatening situations, but they are spiritually life threatening.

Daily being made new means surrendering “the little tests” that come up each day. Our resolve to be followers of Christ means being so aware of our tendency to take the easy way out that we know we could easily deny Christ and being so dependent on the Holy Spirit that we trust God will give us the strength we need.

Peter was surprised by Jesus foretelling of his denials and surprised once again when Jesus’ words came true. Realization of our own sinful tendencies and the need for daily transformation is a fresh reminder of the gift that Jesus provides.

Reading: Mark 14:26-31 and Mark 14:66-72

Reflective Questions:

· Are there places in life that my actions deny Christ as my Savior?

· How can I remind myself daily that I am in need of a Savior?