Chapter 16

"But Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [things of] God, but on [things of] man.’"

Why am I alive? What is my purpose? Do I have purpose? These are the main questions in today’s world. We can se how we ended up with such high depression rates, suicide rates and an increase in substance dependence.

Knowing one’s purpose/calling gives you an objective bigger than yourself, bigger than the time frame you exist in. Only Jesus gives us this kind of purpose, a purpose in which we are privileged to take part in the eternal workings of God.  Knowing your calling not only allows you to share in such [eternal workings] but also gives you a pathway to do it in. You will be able to know what to do, what ideas to accept, what ideas to refuse, and how to manage your daily activities.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus rebukes Peter, telling him to put his mind on the things of God rather than the things of man. Peter, who like any good friend, was literally trying to preserve the life of Jesus. What he did not understand at that point was that he was going in direct opposition to the will of God. We all know that Jesus had to die to not only fulfill the will of God, but to save us who were dead in sin, the undeserving.

If you remember the scene when Jesus was getting arrested, you can see Peter was still determined to protect Jesus at all costs, whether it was cutting someone's ear or standing in defiance of the will of God. We also, in many ways, have made defiant stands in opposition of God's will for our lives. We do this by opposing His will for us, as well as opposing His will in the lives of our friends, neighbors, workmates, and family. 

The best way not to fall victim to this slippery slope is to set our minds on the things of God, know the will of God for your life, and for the lives of those who seek counsel from you. Only by this can we steer away from self-sabotage. Let us not be stumbling blocks to God's will.

Our prayer today is that God may reveal His will for us, reveal His will for our children, and those around us. Help us to set our minds on you Jesus, that we may not be compromised by the cares of this world. that we may not stand against your will, thinking we know better. Teach us how to seek you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Teach us to seek you Jesus, that we may not stand against your will for our lives and the lives of those around us"