By Brenda Cannon Henley
When Jesus first spoke to the brothers, Andrew and Peter, who were fishermen by profession, he told them to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. Andrew and Peter may not have grasped exactly what those words meant at the time, but in the coming months and years, they would see the Lord’s words come into fruition.
I am reminded of the time when I first heard the gospel message and accepted Christ as my personal Savior at a Christian Missionary Alliance Camp for teens at Toccoa Falls in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. My father’s mother, my grandmother, thought that I should go and spend time with Christian teens and teachers, counselors, and pastors, and to have a lot of fun in the lake, playing games, eating good home cooked food, enjoying the sports fields, and in the services and dorms. I did not know what all the words meant. I did not know the Scripture. I had not been reared in a Christian environment with a few exceptions coming from my grandmothers and aunts. I only knew that these people had peace in their hearts and lives and were happier than any group of folks I had ever seen, and I recognized that I wanted that, too. I was blessed to have a very wise counselor speak with me and to teach me the first truths that would ultimately change my life forever.
Teachers, pastors and counselors – We have such a vast responsibility to be attentive, in tune with God, know the Scripture, and be pleasant when we have the opportunity to deal with another human being’s soul. Our attitude, our lack of love, our insensitive nature, our being in a hurry to get finished with a service, or our rudeness can and will change the future of some boy, girl, man, or woman. I urge every pastor or leader to really work on the art of counseling and be prepared to work with those who respond in our services, classrooms, or studies. Simply making ourselves available to answer questions, to pray for someone, or to listen with an attentive ear can make all of the difference in this world to another person. Many times in my career at work in a newspaper office, I have had people walk into my office, close the door, and either burst into tears, or quietly say, “Miss Brenda, will you pray with me?” It may be that these same people ridiculed “church goers” and “Bible thumpers,” but when the rubber met the road in their lives, they wanted help from someone that truly cared.
When Jesus chose His inner circle, Peter was the first. He was a dominant personality by his very nature and he had a close relationship with Christ. Peter was often the spokesperson, but he also often spoke impetuously, not fully understanding the impact of what he was saying. It appears from Scripture that when Jesus visited Capernaum, He made Peter’s home his home.
One Bible story most children in church know is the one about Peter wanting to walk on the water like Jesus did. He cried out to Christ across the wind-tossed waters of the Sea of Galilee, “If it is You, Lord, let me come to You.” Peter, confident in his own power, hopped out of the boat, and began to see and feel the wind and waves. He lost his focus and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus kindly rebuked Peter for his lack of faith.
The lesson we can learn from Peter here is that as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord and our hearts steady in His command, we will make the journey safely. However, when we take our eyes off of the Lord, become too confident in our own power, and get a haughty and high-minded view of ourselves, we likely will begin to sink and go under and be pummeled by circumstances and fears that lead to almost certain failure.
There are many more lessons to be learned from Peter’s life that can help to change our daily lives and our outcome.
[1-25-2016]
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788, at
[email protected], or by using the contact form below.
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