Concerned with What?

                Do you remember at some point in your childhood someone telling you, “I’ll never let anything bad happen to you!”? Maybe not when you were a child; maybe your spouse said this to you at some point. This may have been a great comfort to you (it has been to me several times!), but every time I have heard it, part of me has wanted to take a step back and call that person a liar. No one can be sure that nothing bad will happen to another person no matter how hard they try. I will do my absolute best to protect my son as he grows, but many good parents have had something bad happen to their child through no fault of their own.

                In Matthew  16, Peter tries to say something similar to Jesus. Jesus has just predicted his own death and Peter says, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22b). Jesus responds by telling Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:23).  When we read this story knowing what happens in the end, we say with Jesus, “No, no Peter! He has to die on the cross so he can be raised!” but Peter is just doing what we do all the time. He is telling someone he loves that nothing bad will ever happen to him, but Jesus does not allow this lie to continue. Instead Jesus gives us the very comforting truth that God uses the bad in this life for the good of the overall purpose. Jesus is standing on the truth that no matter what happens, God will give us the strength to get through it.

                I pray that God will continue to teach me to stand on this truth. When bad things come in my lives, they will never catch Him by surprise. I am continually learning how to be concerned with what God is concerned with rather than what man is and it is reshaping my understanding of good and bad. As my son gets old enough to understand, I hope to teach him that I will always do my best to keep him safe, but God will succeed in using my son for the work He has prepared for him (Ephesians 2:10).  The Lord is faithful to see us through every challenge.