Defiance Not Fear

Peter denied Jesus three times.  Peter was the chief apostle, the one to lead the church after Jesus died.  Jesus knew Peter would deny him before he did it.  (Luke 22:34)  

What does this say about Jesus?
Jesus knows our weak points.  He has already seen what we will do.  He has already paid the price of our sins before we commit them.

What does this say about Peter?
Peter was valuable to Jesus as a leader.  Jesus picked him to be the chief apostle, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"  (John 15:16)  Peter was weak but when he saw that Jesus didn't reject him, he became strong.  He could have hidden in his shame and stayed weak.  Instead he changed from weak and fearful to courageous -- even defiant.  Maybe he said to himself, "I was weak once, but never again."

Jesus calls for us to be strong for him.  He calls us even when we are weak.  He doesn't want us to allow our guilty consciences to stop us.  He wants us to grow stronger.  It is Satan who says make aprons of fig leaves and hide.

Another Bible figure messed up royally and was still "called" to do a great work.  Aaron made a golden calf for the Children of Israel to worship.  "And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him..." (Deut 9:20)  But Moses offered a sin offering in his behalf and pled with the Lord.  Aaron eventually was given the solemn responsibility to minister in the holiest places of the temple. (Ex 28:35)  He changed from weak to strong.

These examples show that being strong often comes after being weak.  It is never good to sin but as weakness changes to strength, righteous defiance replaces fear.

How do weaknesses become strengths?

We have to humble ourselves before God and accept responsibility for our choices. 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. " (Ether 12:27) 

We stand in honesty before God and offer to change because we love Him.  There is no stronger motive.  Change brings new life.  It is the beginning of better days.

If you liked this post you might also like this post about courage:  In Confidence is Your Strength  

The title for this post comes from Henry W Longfellow's poem Paul Revere's Ride.  It says, "A cry of defiance and not of fear, A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo forever-more!"

The painting of Peter's denial by Carl Bloch is used with permission

Shame vs. Guilt

In this post:  Guilt is natural - Shame is man-made - healthy communities - born innocent

Guilt is a feeling that I’ve done something bad and it encourages actions to be fixed.

Shame is a feeling that I’m a bad person and it discourages change because it is based on the lie that I’m bad and no choices will change that.

Guilt is a natural, God-given feeling.  It helps me know when I’m misaligned with God’s will.  It is conducive to repentance.  Actions can be fixed.  No one is perfect but if they keep trying, they will improve.

Shame is a man-made feeling.  God doesn’t use it, but humans do.  Humans create a power differential between themselves and other people when they want to keep them in a one-down relationship.

God is the perfect mentor.  He is interested in guiding and lifting his children up to a perfect state with him.  Humans in one-down relationships are not interested in equality.  Parents are naturally in a one-down relationship with their children but they can be mentors and lift their children up to maturity and eventual equality.  Parents or adults who seek to keep their children beneath them use shame, criticism and fear of abandonment.  This is a corruption of healthy relationships.

Shame doesn’t apply in healthy relationships.   In healthy relationships two or more people interact with each other in equality.  They are free to be themselves without fear of criticism or rejection.  Most people don’t get to choose their coworkers, their constituents or the people in their community so their only choice is to be adaptable.  We adapt to the bad in others and get along in spite of it.  Even the aspects of a person’s character that interfere with the flow can be compensated for in a healthy community.  That’s grace.  

Village courtesy SaiVin

It is a commonly held belief that we are born bad.  And some even believe there is nothing we can do because of the Fall to be good.  I think this idea ought to be flatly rejected.  It promotes Satan’s agenda to keep us all from reaching our potential.  I think we are born innocent.  Throughout our lives we choose either good or evil and at the end of our lives we reap what we have sown.

It was after reading Daring Greatly that I began to think about the difference between shame and guilt.  And after the last couple posts, I felt I ought to at least define the two terms.  

Challenge:  See your guilt as a gift pointing the way to spiritual health.  Take courage, repent of just one thing today.  You will feel better.