More God. Less Guilt.

From Trapped By Guilt by Markey Motsinger on YouVersion

Grace and conviction aren’t just words. They are powerful actions that offer freedom. Throughout the Bible, grace and conviction changed the lives of King David, the woman at the well, prostitutes, the thief on the cross, and a fisherman named Peter.

Fishermen were considered uneducated men with hot tempers and vulgar language. Seeing beyond the surface, Jesus asked Peter to follow Him. I love how Jesus doesn’t condemn our actions. Instead, He convicts us to be who He created us to be. Peter recognized his sin and confessed. Despite all the mistakes, Jesus gave him the forgiveness to move forward and the grace to change. Peter dropped everything and followed Jesus. 

Peter became one of Jesus’s most trusted disciples, but he didn’t always get it right. The night Jesus was arrested, He predicted that Peter would deny Him three times. Outraged, Peter declared his loyalty.

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. – Matthew 26:33-35

But only hours later, we find him weeping tears of guilt and remorse for doing the very thing he swore he wouldn’t do. 

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. – Matthew 26:69-75

Following Jesus doesn’t make us perfect. We will still mess up and feel the weight of our sins, but the story doesn’t have to end there. After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples and three times asked Peter, “… Do you love me?” Each time Peter replied, “Yes, you know I love you.” The third time Jesus said, “Then feed my lambs…and follow me!”

Jesus saw the details, betrayal, and fear, yet didn’t expect Peter to live in the guilt of his mistakes. There was no condemnation or manipulation, only the conviction to rise up, repent, leave sin behind, and become who God had created him to be. Peter didn’t let guilt rule his life. He confessed and started leading people to Jesus.

We’re no different from Peter. There is no mistake He won’t use. Despite our human failures, we can fall at the feet of Jesus and accept His forgiveness and grace. He wants us to let go of the mistakes, disillusionments, and emotional pain. He is waiting for permission to use our mistakes to strengthen us. Are you ready?

If you enjoyed this 5-day plan from Markey Motsinger,  be sure to check out and download her free bible study, Trapped.