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Thursday, August 11, 2011

A Work in Progress

When Jesus met Simon, the fisherman, He changed his name to Peter, meaning “a stone or a rock.” Didn’t Jesus know Simon was anything but a rock? Didn’t he know Simon’s tongue was often in overdrive while his mind was in neutral? Didn’t he know Simon’s emotions were as unsteady as a wounded bird in a hurricane? Didn’t he know Simon would eventually deny Him, not just once but three times? Yes, He knew all about Simon’s weaknesses, but He also knew what He would accomplish in Simon’s life. He would patiently transform the rough fisherman into a fearless, faithful apostle. So, when he met Simon, He looked beyond what he was and saw what he would become—Peter, a rock.

Jesus welcomed you and me, too, into His circle of friends, and He called us to follow Him. In doing so, He looked beyond our personality flaws, our weaknesses, our imperfections, our failures, and our sins, and saw what we would become by His grace and power. Gradually, we are learning to serve Him faithfully, and ultimately we will be like Him (Romans 8:30; 1 John 3:2). Today, we believers are “living stones” in the Church, of which our Lord and Savior is “the capstone” (see 1 Peter 2:4:7).