Colton Dixon - Anchorಮಾದರಿ

“I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it”

Ever tried to look at a painting incredibly up close, maybe so close that your nose is literally touching the canvas? When you try to look at a work of art in that way, you’ll never quite understand the bigger picture. It may look kind of ugly from that view, and the colors just don’t seem right. However, when you take a step back, you can see the painting in its fullness, the way it was meant to be seen.

In our lives, we have moments that are beautiful, and ones that feel ugly. Sometimes we make choices that have great outcomes, full of joy, and laughter, and sometimes we make decisions that lead to pain and regret. I’m reminded of Peter who not only shared in many joyful moments, but also shared in his fair share of pain. Peter got to spend a great deal of time with Jesus in his inner circle, and for sure there must have been times of joy and laughter with the Savior of the World.

However, Peter experienced times of deep regret as well. There were some tears cried, and some times of trouble for the disciple. Even after Jesus warned Peter of his coming failure, where he would deny even knowing Jesus, Peter still did it anyway. You can imagine the regret of that decision, as Peter would also remember the joyful moments with Jesus.

The truth is that no matter how close we are to Jesus, no matter how far we are from Jesus, because of the sin that is in the world, we are all vulnerable to messing up. None of us are perfect, not even Peter who was one of Jesus’ disciples. Rest assured today that despite choices you may regret and things you may want to change, God is still God, through all of it.