Show to others how God called you
out of the darkness
into his wonderful light. ~ 1 Peter 2:9
I admire Paul,
but I love Peter!
I’ve often written about the apostle Paul. If there was an early Christian workaholic, it was Paul. Undaunted by opposition and persecution, he traveled throughout the Roman world spreading the Gospel. Even when he settled in one place, he filled every hour with preaching, teaching, and tent making. His mind and hands were never idle!
I admire Paul, but I love Peter. In a special, winsome way I see his feelings and failings in the pages of the New Testament, and I feel close to him.
The first time Peter’s words are recorded in the gospel of Luke (5:1-11), he makes himself transparent. He was washing his nets beside the seashore while Jesus preached nearby. Noticing the empty boats, Jesus stepped into one and asked Peter to push it out into the water. I can picture Peter forgetting the nets and listening to Jesus. When Jesus finished speaking, he instructed Peter to go into deeper water and let down the nets.
Logic told Peter this action was foolish. They had worked hard all night and caught nothing. Daytime fishing was a waste of time, but he obeyed Jesus. And what incredible results! The nets were so full they began to tear. Peter didn’t stop to analyze what had happened or to see who might be watching. He fell down on his knees and said, “‘Oh, sir, please leave us—I’m too much of a sinner for you to have around’” (Luke 5:8). When they got to shore, he left everything and followed Jesus.
From then on, Peter stayed close to Jesus. He was always up front, directing the crowds and speaking for the other disciples. Was Peter simply a naturally gifted leader? I’m not so sure. I can’t help but wonder if Peter was trying to prove himself. He may have thought the others (even those who were also fishermen) were more likely candidates for discipleship. John was a deep thinker. Andrew was outgoing. James had studied the law.
The more Peter tried, the more he failed. He walked on water, only to sink (Matt. 14:22-32). He was the first of the Twelve to boldly confess, “You are the Messiah,” only to be rebuked a short time later for trying to tell Jesus what to do (Mark 8:27-033). He boasted of his loyalty to the Master, only to deny him (John 13:36-38). Yet, on the day of Pentecost, Peter was transformed from a coward into a Spirit-filled preacher and leader (Acts 2:14-41). Even before the mighty Sanhedrin, he stood his ground. “‘We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say’” (Acts 4:20).
What can Christian writers learn from Peter? I believe he shows us what must happen in our lives when we come face to face with Jesus Christ. Like Peter, we need to confess our sins, recognizing that Jesus “personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when he died on the cross, so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on” (1 Pet. 2:24). If our words are to have credibility, our walk needs to match our talk.
Peter also shows us the importance of obedience, of being willing to leave what we are doing to follow Jesus into unknown situations. The safe thing would have been for Peter to stay on the fringes of Jesus’ life and ministry. He could have continued with his fishing business and taken time off only when Jesus was in town. But Peter chose to risk everything and follow Jesus.
I’m not suggesting anyone quit their job and go into a full-time writing ministry. I don’t know many who are called to make a living at writing. But we can ask the Lord to help us give up some things we enjoy doing in order to make time for writing. Those who are called to write from personal experience can ask for strength to write openly of the lessons God has taught them in order to minister to the needs of their readers.
“Feed my sheep” Jesus told Peter after his resurrection (John 21:17 NIV). No doubt Peter was still reeling from his denial of Jesus. Three times Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment, and three times he challenged Peter to feed his sheep. Again Peter obeyed. He learned to care for the flock “willingly, not grudgingly; not for what [he] would get out of it but because [he was] eager to serve the Lord” (1 Pet. 5:2).
We need to be ready to share our faith and to “do it in a gentle and respectful way” (1 Pet. 3:15). “Preach [write] as though God himself were speaking through you,” Peter says (1 Pet. 4:11). “Be ready to suffer” (1 Pet. 4:1) but focus on the “wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here” (1 Pet. 1:6).
Another lesson from Peter is how to deal with our egos. We are to “serve each other with humble spirits” (1 Pet. 5:5). Like Peter, we must be willing to give “all honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again” (1 Pet. 1:3). We must desire to point others to Jesus, not to ourselves.
Peter provides a lot more practical help that has direct application to our lives as writers: “Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (1 Pet. 4:7 NIV). “Keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you” (1 Pet. 4:19). “Stand firmly in his love” (1 Pet. 5:12).
In 2 Peter 1:2-8 he describes ways to “grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ.” Why? It’s a process! It was for him and will be for us. Like Peter, there will be times when we will fail. But he rose above his failures, and we can too!
At Bill Gothard’s Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, I received a button with the letters “PBPGINFWMY.” They stand for the sentence, “Please be patient; God is not finished with me yet.” We also need to be patient with ourselves. Our faith is going to be tested (1 Pet. 1:7). Sometimes it may be found wanting. But the amount of our faith (remember what Jesus said in Luke 17:6 about faith the size of a mustard seed?) is not as important as the One we believe in. Truly, he will “‘never disappoint those who trust in him’” (1 Pet. 2:6). He has chosen us and he will equip us so that, through the words we write and the lives we live, we will effectively be able to “show to others how God called [us] out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
Responding to God’s Call to Write
Read 1 and 2 Peter. Note below those passages that specifically speak to you and your call to feed the flock of God through your writing. Commit one verse to memory today, and ask God to work it into the fabric of your life.
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© Marlene Bagnull, 1999
From Write His Answer–A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull. ACW Press, 1999. For more info and to order at a reduced price go to http://writehisanswer.com/writehisanswerbiblestudybook.
Unless otherwise noted Scripture is from The Living Bible.
Write His Answer 