Point of View

I was listening to Matthew 16 on the drive to work:

²¹ From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

²² But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Here was Jesus telling his disciples that He was about to walk into one of the most trying yet necessary times of His purpose on earth.  And Peter tries to tell Jesus  in so many words, “No that can’t happen.”

The nerve.  Who does this guy think He is?   Does He know who he is talking too?  That was my thought. Condemnation of Peter, a man of God.  Jesus’ disciple.  A man who eventually reached more people than I could possibly consider.

Judgement, I admit it is one of my worst traits.  I felt a quick, yet familiar check in my spirit.  “How can you judge Him?  You do it too,  Jackie.”  The still, quiet voice that frequently challenges me.  “You often try to stop My purpose too.”

Ouch!

I rode the rest of the way contemplating the thought.

How many times have I heard that same still small voice tell me to do something and chose not to?

How many times have I felt the need to step out and froze instead?

How many times have I spoken discouragement over someone else’s purpose being a dangerous trap?

It is so easy to pass judgement knowing the full story. God reminded me just as He was writing Peter’s story at the time, He is still writing mine today.  He is also writing the story of those I come in contact.  I have the ability to see things from an eternal perspective instead of just looking merely from the human point of view.  I have the ability to speak life. I have the ability to be obedient.  I have to take my eyes off the circumstances surrounding me and ask for God’s point of view.