Never say never

Today in church the sermon was about never saying never. I hate, yes hate to hear someone say "you never....". Whatever your filler is. Because no one can "never" measure up. And so I have learned in what is becoming my long life (as I approach 40) that saying never is just setting yourself up to fail. I learned after some embarrassing times that when I say never, I always eat those words. You know what I mean. "I would never say that, get a divorce, act like her, look like that, wear that, talk like that, feel like that, and so on." EVERYTHING I have ever passed judgement about has come full cirle to me and shown me I am so clueless. And even though I am not proud of this "NEVER" problem going around, I find some comfort in Peter.

Simon Peter was in Jesus' inner circle. He was like a brother or best friend to Jesus. He saw Jesus perform miracles and he heard Jesus speak. Okay, I think if I saw Jesus heal the blind, feed the hungry and calm the storm I WOULD NEVER DENY HIM! But that is what Peter did. And that is exactly what I do everytime I act or speak in a way not becoming to the Lord. Think about it. Peter walked next to Jesus. Picture it, Jesus is sitting next to you right now and you look over and he just healed a blind guy. Would you really deny knowing him? Of course not, we would NEVER do that! So why did Peter? Because when we say never, God says "really? Let me see about that." God tells us in his word to test him and we will find him to be true. I think he is sincere in his invitation to test him, but I don't need to. I know he means it. I just think on Peter.

HOW could he deny Jesus. He KNEW him personally. How could he? I am so less compared to Peter. So if Peter denied him what is the chance I will too? As I think of this I realize I deny Jesus everyday that I do the opposite of what I should. I wonder, have I offended the Holy Spirit or denied him? I am thankful that God knows my heart. He knows that when I say never that I am fallible and I have mis-spoken. I am glad that God knows my heart and is merciful enough to extend to me a second, third, and fourth chances. Funny how our friends say NEVER and we want judgement but we say NEVER and we want mercy. I will try to NEVER say NEVER and when my friends say NEVER I will remember Peter and forgive them.