She Reads Truth: 1 PeterSample

Called to be Holy

Peter is one of those Biblical figures that I just get. He’s just living his life, doing his thing, working hard at what he does, when he encounters Christ.  And then everything changes. Because Jesus doesn’t just see Simon Peter as a hard-working fisherman, crusty, focused on the tasks he’s got on his own horizon and, more than likely, a little smelly. Jesus sees him as a rock. A fisher of men. Jesus sees Peter as holy.

When Peter writes in 1 Peter, we get the advantage of knowing his story. We know he himself wasn’t always prepared for action (1 Peter 1:13a, NIV). We know he himself has lived in ignorance (1 Peter 1:14, NIV). And we can believe him when he says we too can receive grace and be holy in all that we do (1 Peter 1:16, NIV), even when we fall short, as we know Peter himself did.

The Lord doesn’t call us to be something we cannot be. We cannot be perfect.  But we can be set apart, just as Peter was, despite his crusty, smelly, self-interested ways. Being holy, though, has less to do with being without fault and more to do with the state of our heart once we’ve come to know Christ. We can intentionally cast our nets, steer our boat and ask Him to wash off as much of our stink as we possibly can with the resolve to invest our lives in the work of His kingdom.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  (Romans 12:2, NIV)

Jesus raised the bar for Peter, and He raises the bar for us. He wants to be your all in all, in every part of your life.

All you have to do is let Him help you out of your stinky boat.

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