“Peter, do you love Me” was the question found in John 21:15; not once but 3 times as Jesus was pressing His disciple for more than just a verbal answer. Three times, Jesus asked ….on purpose to bring Peter to the wounding of the question. To make him aware of what it meant, what it felt like to love for love always produces a wound. The more we love Yahweh, the more we “feel” the wound of His love for us, as well as for those around us. We “feel” His pain for the broken and lost world.
Jesus wasn’t after Peter to work for Him but to be devoted to Him and out of that pure devotion, Peter would “follow” Christ and do the work. “Jesus Christ calls service to be “who we are to Him” not “what we do” for Him (Oswald Chambers). Our discipleship is based on devotion TO not service FOR. We are following a Person, not a doctrine. We can follow doctrine without the Person, but we cannot follow the Person with His doctrine.
The Beloved disciple understood this and Peter was still learning. It is much the same today. There are many who find their identity in the work they are doing “for” the Lord when all the while Yahweh is saying be “with” me in the work as I do it. 1 Corinthians 3:9 “we are God’s fellow workers; in His field, God’s building”. This passage comes after the discussion of Paul and Appollos and who follows who, but ultimately it is all God’s work and He does it.
Our only role as sons and daughters is a love relationship with our Father. The more we love, the deeper we feel His love and the more we are able to express His love to others. The greatest gift of love we can give today in this age is the gift of tears, the gift of sorrow for the wounds of another for those wounds have wounded the heart of God. the gift of tears is a sign of the depth of love and we can now stand like Peter and say “Yes, I love You”! #MyGodisYahweh
Renee Hymel
Lover of God’s Word | Intercessor | Blogger #myGodisYahweh
Fav Scripture: Eph 6:10-11
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the enemy’s schemes”.