Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.
The way someone responds to you when you’ve made a mistake says a lot about their character and their feelings towards you.
For example, a loving parent will respond with much more love and grace to their child when they’ve failed than a demanding boss will react to an employee who has messed up.
People are much more likely to scold a servant or a waiter than a friend or a loved one. Just to be clear – I’m not saying it's ok to scold anyone, just making an observation.
I love the way Jesus responds to Peter after he has made a devastating mistake.
Peter, who claimed he was sold out for Jesus and would lay down his life for Him (John 13:37), folded under fear and peer pressure, denying even knowing Jesus three times(!), just as Jesus had predicted.
After He was resurrected, one of the first things Jesus did was meet Peter and the other disciples while they were fishing.
I can only imagine the pain, grief and shame Peter felt. Not only did he watch his best friend get tortured and die a horrible death, but he betrayed Him in the final hours of His life.
Yet when Jesus meets Peter on the beach, he doesn’t beat him down with “I told you so!” He didn’t ask “How could you do this?” or “What have you learned from your mistake?” No, Jesus simply asked, “Do you love me more than these?”
Jesus made it clear to Peter that all He desired was his love, as imperfect, flawed and feeble as it may be. All He is after is his heart.
Remember, the next time you make a mistake, don’t focus on what you did wrong, but on Jesus and how much He loves you and you love Him. Because in His love, He died for you, for the forgiveness of your sins (John 3:16).
