Stay Humble

Mark 8:31-33

I often identify with Peter more than any of the other people mentioned in the Bible. Today is no different. It seems like the man bounced from epic win to epic failure at break-neck speed. I wish I didn't know how that felt. I don't know if Peter became so bold as to contradict his Messiah because Jesus had just told him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 8:16-19)

Unfortunately, when we find ourselves standing on the winner's podium of life, we sometimes think we got there because of our awesomeness. Peter often did. Sometimes I do too. Peter forgot one of the most important truths: God gives us the ability to succeed. God gives us the understanding to become wise. Our 'wins' are simply an extension of His grace and love. (Deuteronomy 8:18 - "But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.")

Peter's fall from 'blessed' to 'Satan' must have been a painful landing. I know it would have knocked the air from my lungs. An interesting point to this scripture is to remember that the word we translate as Satan does not necessarily mean the Prince of Demons. The word Jesus used was santanas. It means an adversary or one who opposes the purposes or acts of another. This is why we give the Devil this name. He is the opponent of all things righteous. Jesus wasn't casting Satan out of Peter. He was rebuking his opposition to Christ's plan. David Guzik explained this passage by writing, "Jesus exposed how Peter came into this satanic way of thinking. He didn’t make a deliberate choice to reject God and embrace Satan; he simply let his mind settle on the things of men instead of the things of God, and Satan took advantage of it. Peter is a perfect example of how a sincere heart coupled with man’s thinking can often lead to disaster."

One of the many things I have learned from the life of Peter is to embrace humility. For some of us, our spiritual walk is more like a roller coaster than a leisurely stroll. There are highs that lead to the inevitable lows and back up again. That's ok. No matter how many times Peter failed, Jesus never changed his mind about who he was or what God was going to do through him. Life is a learning process. We just need to stay humble as we learn. We need to remember that, while we have the God given ability to come up with some good plans, it isn't always the right plan... especially if it isn't God's plan.

(Written by Keegan Harkins,)