Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter.
Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.(Luke 22:60-62)
Today's Scriptures states that, "Peter followed, but at a safe distance"(54).
He never lost his focus on Christ - until it was spoken that he also was with Christ.
At that point his focus changed. It settled on "self" and he went into a defensive, self protection mode, not trusting God take care of him. He stood away from Christ - as did Judas. The difference in these two is that Peter's focus went back to Christ. "At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter."(61). It doesn't say their eyes met across the crowd, but I feel they did - for Peter then remembered. "He went out and cried and cried and cried".
Guilt. Shame. Grief. Brokenness.
And after his brokenness, came rebuilding.
When our focus is off of ABBA, we begin to believe He is not aware or even involved with what is going on in our life. Being so caught up in "self" we forget He is all knowing, all seeing, everywhere at one time, denying Him in our thoughts, actions, words. Not having faith or trust in His ways.
And then we see Him looking at us.
We need accountability - it causes repentance, turning away from sin, following closer to Him. The guilt and shame, can either convict us to change or consume us to such a point we begin to spiritually die.
Our choice.
You can either be overwhelmed and broken down by the burden of guilt and shame
OR
Accept what Christ did on The Cross and grow on. Casting the burden onto His waiting Shoulders - learning from it - gleaning from it for your journey ahead.
It all goes back to our focus.
In New Testament times, capital punishment was sometimes carried out by tying a murder victim's body directly onto the perpetrator's back. Wherever he went he was literally weighed down by his crime, with no way to escape the stench of decomposing flesh. Eventually the bacteria-filled corpse infected him too, and he died an agonizing death - as we will also die when taking on guilt and shame.
Peter broke down.
But he didn't turn away as Judas did. When He is with Christ later, he accepted the gift of forgiveness and laid the burden of guilt and shame at His feet. Christ is designed to handle our burdens - we are not. It will consume us - it will break us - it will slowly rob life from us - as it did Judas. He never refocused on Christ, "Then he went out and hung himself". (Matt 27:5)
You can slowly die from the burden of guilt and shame or grow on in Him.
It's your free choice.
no guilt or shame intended...........
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