So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” 

John 21:15-17 (NKJV)

Have you ever messed up to the degree of believing you forever warped the plans of God? And then, God surrounds you with people who guide you back to Him and give assurance that you haven’t gone too far. You accept God’s salvation and begin to travel the narrow path. But then, feelings of shame cause you to believe you have to start from square one. God, after all, throws away the calling He’s placed on your life the moment you fail Him, right? Wrong!

Simon Peter

In the Bible, there is a man named Simon Peter who is a disciple of Jesus. He has the honor of recognizing Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), and he is called to “catch people” (Luke 5:10), which many believe is Jesus’ initial invitation for Simon Peter to preach the Gospel. 

There is a problem, though. You see, Simon Peter betrays Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75). When the going gets tough, Simon Peter gets going. He is so ashamed to have failed Jesus at a crucial time that Simon Peter weeps bitterly. Imagine that. Having the opportunity to stand up for Jesus and failing to do so. 

Surely, Simon Peter should be counted out. He should write off everything previously said about his calling and go back to being a fisherman, right? The Bible tells us a different story. 

“Feed My Sheep”

In John 21:15-17, Jesus invites Simon Peter to “feed” his lambs and sheep. It is believed that such an invitation is Jesus calling his disciple to pastor future followers of the Way. Nowhere in these passages does Jesus mention the betrayal of Simon Peter. Instead, The Lord reminds his disciple of the initial call and commissions Simon Peter to walk it out. 

God Never Forgets

Sometimes we feel as if our past mistakes have placed a stain so deep that we cannot be who God called us to be before we messed up. This just isn’t how God works. 

God does not call you to start from square one. He asks that you begin where you are and keep walking with Him.

God does not forget your previous efforts. He doesn’t say, “Well, yes, Charlie used to attend church faithfully. He read his Bible every day. But then, he got distracted and stopped giving me daily devotion. He’s back now, but all of the devotion he previously gave before he fell off doesn’t mean anything.” God does not discard how we loved Him before we made our big mistake. In fact, He will be the first to remind us of our past sacrifices so that we know they weren’t in vain. 

God still invites you to fulfill the plan He set in place. Perhaps, one of the reasons why God doesn’t make you start from scratch is because He expects you to walk out the plan He has set in place for your life. He knows that you can handle the purpose even if you don’t necessarily believe you are capable. 

Final Thought

Anyone who would dare remind you of your past to inflict shame is not operating in the love of God. You are not your mistakes, and you do not have to start from square one. God is calling you to start where you left off and build on that. 

Reflections

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt like your mistakes ruined the plan of God?

Are you surrounded by people who believe you are unworthy to carry out the plan God has for you because of your past? How do you plan to remove yourself from the situation?

How will you build on what God has spoken?