Do You Love me?

2013 is but a memory and we are hours into 2014, which, resolutions to the contrary notwithstanding, will come to a similar conclusion as last year: We will not likely have accomplished all we intended, improved as much as we hoped or kept all the promises we made.  

Although I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, I think I can safely predict that all of us will, in various ways, miss the mark or as commonly referred to, "sin."  What do think the odds are that I will be right?  I would say infinity to zero, conservatively speaking. 

Wow, Doc, thanks for the vote of confidence!  Why should we even try to improve if we know we're going to fail?  I say let's not!  Let's not try to be better, more acceptable or more holy. In the words of Stars Wars' Master Yoda, "Try not. Do or do not!"

What in the world are you talking about?  Good question.  I'm talking about the true Peter Principle - not the one where you reach your highest level of incompetence but where you stop trying to improve yourself and just love the Lord, allowing him to embrace you and empower you by his Spirit. 

Peter reached his highest level of incompetence when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:54-62) but when Jesus appeared to him after the Resurrection, he did not ask if Peter was ready to try harder or do better, he asked him instead, "Do you love me ?” (John 21:15). Based on his answer to that question, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:17). 

Jesus knew Peter had failed and he knew that Peter would falter again in the future, but he knew that Peter loved him and that would make the difference. Love is the difference for God is love, and as Paul affirmed, we will not be put to shame "because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5).  Don't try, do love. Jus' Sayn.