Mending My Nets
Have you ever been disappointed in yourself? Some of my greatest challenges in life come when I admit I failed. For me, it could be screaming at the driver in the car who cut in front of me. Even though the driver can’t hear my rant, (or so I hope), I know I have failed to exhibit the fruits of the spirit, (something about love, peace, goodness, oh…and self-control). Or it could be catching myself gossiping, or being selfish.
Being human, we all make mistakes. We all have times when we know we have somehow failed. So, where do we turn to when we fail? The question is; Who do we turn to with our failure?
I Peter 5:10, provides an answer. “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. I Peter 5:10 “
Yes! Our God is the God of all grace. Not some, but all. That means, no matter what, there’s enough grace for me!
Enough grace to cover to my failure. Along with God’s forgiveness comes an added promise. I also can take comfort that God will, if I allow Him, perfect and strengthen me. (I’d like to skip the part about having to ‘suffer a while’, but there it is. ) My part is to admit my sin, repent of it and then ask God to heal me of it, or give me grace to get the victory over it.
An interesting note is that the Greek word in this scripture for ‘perfect’ comes from a word also used in scripture of the apostles mending their nets. This word can mean ‘to repair’, or ‘to frame’. I like knowing that God can repair the ‘broken nets’ in my life. Not only the rips of regrets caused by my mistakes, but also any broken family relationships, broken dreams, or broken hearts. God can frame my day, my future and my world. I need not be overcome with despair when I see my faults, because God is not done with me yet.
To Consider: Do you have any ‘nets’ that need to be mended? The Master Repair Artist, Jesus, is waiting to help.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. I Peter 5:10