[The Glory Unveiled]
“After they had breakfast, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you burn with love for me more than these?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord! You know that I have great affection for you!” “Then take care of my lambs,” Jesus said.” [ John 21:15 TPT ]
After Jesus’ death, in John 21, the disciples, led by Peter, went back to fishing. In the anchor text above, although it may not be clear whether the Lord Jesus was referring to the fishes that had just been caught or the other disciples when He said “do you burn with love for me, more than ‘these?’,” For the purpose of our study, we will assume He was referring to the fishes as it applies more with Peter who was a fisherman and loved fishing. The statement made by Jesus shows us how to break free from the bondage of the things we love, things we are so used to. He shows us that we need a wedge fixed in between the habit that has control over us and the new habit that we want to develop. And so, Jesus told Peter to take care of His lamb; to Peter it was a measure of His love for the Lord but it was also a new habit that was being grafted into his old setup. In other words, Jesus was saying take care of a new business; burn with love for something else. We could refer to Peter as an addicted fisherman who loved to go fishing every time. And even though Jesus had called him from that old life to now be a worker for God, he went back to fishing when he felt Jesus was gone. [This is the place of relapses in addiction recovery.] He relapsed because the wedge was taken out. Addiction relapses happen as a result of the direction of one’s love and passion. Where our interests lie, there our energies are directed. Peter had his attention and passion redirected to fishing. And so, the Lord Jesus now asks him if he loved him more than the other thing—fishing? That’s the entry point for anyone who wants to break free. Freedom from addiction rests on the shoulders of our passionate love for God. How passionately we love God determines what we will do. In that moment of change, we would have to weigh the addiction against our love for God. And then divert the energy of our love to God through our ministries and callings. Do you love Jesus more than what your heart burns with lust for?
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me yet another way out of any addiction that has robbed me of time with you. Help me to love you more than every other thing.
Wisdom_Quote: Freedom from addiction starts and is sustained by getting addicted to Jesus and His mandate.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.