Is there a time in your life you believed God wanted you to do something, you did it even though it wasn’t something you wanted to do? I am sure we were all in the same boat at one time or another.
I was given such a belief and it was something I really struggled with for many reasons. But in the end I did what I believed God wanted me to do.
My father always went to church and he made his children go to. Where we lived, at that time, the church was behind us, we could jump the fence into the empty block adjacent to the church (as long as we weren’t caught), the Rectory was next door and we were allowed to go through their back gate. No excuse accepted for not going to church, except if we were sick. Well it wasn’t that bad, we had friends going too.
Suddenly my father decided not to go again, which for our family was a shock, but we still had to go. At least until we were old enough to make up our own minds. Or left home. We decided we wouldn’t go.
As time went on, I became a Christian. I was impressed to write to my father to find out why he left the Church, he always believed in God but his belief was all over the place. So I wrote to him. I live at the time in Perth and he lived in a country town in Victoria. The letters went back and forth for many weeks, then one day I received the letter which explained all.
When we went to church, my father was very involved in the church activities. He was studying to become an elder and then into ministry. He was given an essay to write on Peter’s denial of Christ. My father wrote to say that Peter was born for just that reason, to deny Christ 3 times.
The results, my father had to redo the paper as it wasn’t the answer they wanted. He refused, there seemed to be quite a few disagreements, in the end, the decision came down to my father having to leave. He left – and very rarely walked into another church again.
So where does that leave us if Peter hadn’t denied Christ 3 times? Does it make a huge difference to our lives? To our forgiveness? To Peters ministry after the death of Christ? Would Peter have been the man God wanted him to be if he didn’t, and not been forgiven?
We will never know the answer, but I for one am glad he did. Forgiveness is really the answer we all need. Tto be accepted for who we are, where we are and what we have done.
After I wrote back my answer to him to say that he was right. As I believe Peter was to deny Jesus just as Judas was to deceive Jesus. I never received another letter from him. My father came over to Perth with my mother and other family members later on that year. I asked if he had received my letter, he had but wouldn’t say any more. I accepted it. I saw of my father again, he died a few months later.
What happened in his life during the time I was writing to him I have no idea, what did God do in that time, I have no idea.
The only answer I received was before his funeral. Jesus calling Lazarus out from the grave. I accept that answer.
So what do you believe?
