Impetuous Peter and the Journey to Self-Discovery in Christ

When you think of Peter, what is the first thing you think of? Cutting off a guy's ear? Standing in front of the "Pearly Gates"? 

Who was Peter? 

Impetuous Peter had a whole slew of qualities. Let’s look at some of them.

Peter walked on water; he slashed off a man’s ear. Peter recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and then he denied Jesus three times. Peter was a fisher of men, but could not watch and pray for a few hours. He was prone to legalism but dreamed of freedom from the law. He did not see the big picture before the crucifixion but preached on the day of Pentecost and thousands got saved. 

Peter ran from the horror of a trial and then hanged out in a cramped room full of believers in the days following Jesus’ death. Peter was a man of God and he had a temper. He was a fisherman and he was a brother. He was not rich but gave what he had. Peter heard a voice in the desert then followed a Savior. He was a twin with identity issues and he stood out to all those around him. He was prideful then let Jesus wash his feet. He failed then he was restored.

We are like Peter! 

Every time I think I have life figured out, I seem to find one thing or another to fail in and mess things up. Peter was no stranger to this phenomenon. But God still used Peter and He can use you and me! God uses the things the world puts no faith in, and He confounds conventional wisdom because there is success anyway, strength anyway, peace anyway.  

Peter was an Expert

Peter had something that we need. He had time with Jesus. I have heard it said that it takes 10,000 hours of work, research and time with a subject before you become an expert. That is 1 year, 1 month and 21 days (roughly) of one on one with the subject of study. Peter walked and talked, and was taught by Jesus for nearly three years. He was an expert. He was a believer. He was a founding apostle developing doctrine and teaching countless men and women throughout his life. And he still had issues.

So if all this is true, what does it mean for us? 

It means we can be an Impetuous Peter too. 

We can make mistakes, and have tempers, and fall on our face with pride issues, but if we continually surrender to God and allow Him to grow us, guide us, and lead us by the belt, then we can impact the world too.

Growing up I always thought of Peter as a weak willed man. He denied Jesus. I had no empathy at all for him. I could not figure out why Jesus went out of his way in John 21 to restore Peter and encourage him the way He did.  Part of my confusion was a lack of understanding the Jesus’ character, but now, I understand what it takes to be a real follower, and I know that Jesus is the lifter of my head. This was Jesus’ whole purpose on earth: restoration, forgiveness, and teaching. Now I realize that I am an Impetuous Peter, and I need restoration, forgiveness and understanding that can only come from Jesus.

I know that there is a long history and spiritual ancestry that is behind me. I know that like Peter, I will make mistakes. Like Peter, I have a calling on my life. Just as you do. For this purpose did I come, to testify to the truth!  

Like Peter I cannot get caught in the past, but have to allow myself to be renewed, and restored and made usable every day. I have to proclaim the glories of God and remind people the time is NOW.  Tall order? Maybe, but with God all things are possible.

So I want to close with a few questions.

1. Are you like Peter or is there another person in the Bible that you identify with more? Why?

2. What is your purpose? Have you defined who you are supposed to be in Christ yet?

3. Have there been moments in your life that made you think “That’s it, I really blew it now!” and made you feel like there could be no way you could move forward?

4. If you answered yes to #3, has there been a moment that Jesus restored you like in John 21? Reminding you there are things you still have to give and to do?

These are not easy questions. They are designed to make you think about your life and to press in to figure out first who you are in Christ and secondly to figure out what God has called you to do.  We overcome by the word of our testimony. I have to remember mine almost daily.

What is your story?

For THIS Purpose

There is Something Brewing

Rolling around in me, bouncing over and over around in my mind and in my heart has been the phrase “for this purpose”. I think we all ask that question, why am I here, what am I supposed to do with my life? Webster defines purpose as this: 1) n. something set up as an object or end to be attained or 2) v. to aim oneself.

“For this purpose” sounds like a mission statement if there ever was one. Jesus had an opening mission statement and a closing mission statement. His opening mission statement was this:

Luke 4:18 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

There are so many things I want to say about this verse, and I think in the coming days we might explore this closer, but right now, let’s just look at the statement overall. Jesus was anointed, chosen by the Spirit of God to preach, to heal, to free, to recover, and to mend even the deepest emotional hurts, and He knew that the time for this was NOW!

John 14:12 says "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” 

You see, God has always followed the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. He sowed His son, planted Him on a cross, and reaped, gathered Him to heaven so that He could replicate the same in us. 

That same mission, that desire to preach, to teach, to heal, and to restore: when we receive Christ, we receive not only His life, but His mission. As we grow in Christ, the more we look like Him, after all, we are made in his image. (First physically after the image of Adam, who was made in God’s image, but now spiritually as well, because we are new creatures - II Corinthians 5:17) Being re-made into His likeness, we take on not only His character, but His purpose.


Now we come to the second mission statement of Jesus, and this came at the end of His ministry here on earth. 

John 18:37 (KJV) "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered; Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."


The truth is that Jesus had been bearing witness, or proving the reality of God’s love for man for the last three years and this was the culmination of his testimony. That before mankind He, the Son of God, (Luke 3, the lineage of Christ) would lay down His life for us. That His sacrifice was not in vain, or circumstance of politics or conspiracy, (Luke 23:12) but He laid down His physical life so that we might have an eternal one. (John 5:39, I John 1:2) His temporary pain and suffering was the price for our permanence in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 53:5).


So with this in mind, what is our purpose? To lay down our life (to give up our right to make our own decisions and to give up choosing our way over God’s way) a living sacrifice, to follow after Christ with all our heart loving Him above all others, to TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH, that Jesus is the way, and God’s heart cries out for us, and He wants relationship with all, not just a few. 

Christ is not exclusive, but inclusive, because God doesn't want any to perish. 

As I write this I think, OK  so how do I apply this to my life of cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, shopping and everything else mundane I do as a wife and mom? I don’t have a big ministry; I am not a huge evangelist or preacher. I mean, right now I am unemployed! But I know how: by being faithful in the small things, by laying my hand to the plow and not looking back. I need to continually search myself, to seek God, to pursue Him with all I am, and the rest will work itself out.


Matthew 6:33 says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Join the Conversation: 

For this purpose. Can you write a mission statement for your life? Can you say FOR THIS PURPOSE I WAS MADE: and then fill in the blank? Leave your comment below!


Live with purpose, live on purpose, and remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I. Be blessed and BE a blessing.

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