"What can you do when you've failed and denied what you believe?"
This question and others like it came out of the heart of a person who
had stumbled badly. He felt he had no right to pray, and when he tried,
he felt self-discrimination and condemnation. We all deny our Lord in
so many little ways, but what do you do when the denial contradicts
everything you've stood for and believed? Is there a way back? How
does the Lord deal with failures?
The answer is vividly portrayed in the way Jesus Christ dealt with
Simon Peter's denial. Peter could not handle the anguish of his cowardly
denial. He had to block it out, try to forget; but his efforts were futile.
Was that why he now could not bear to look Jesus in the eye?
What adventure Peter had known following the Master! He remem-
bered with self-affirmation how on the road to Caesarea Philippi he felt
the spirit rush within him. He had blurted out the conviction, "Thou art
the Christ!" He would never forget the tone of the Lord's voice when he
told him that the church would be built on the rock of his faith. A rock?
The recollection reverberated with shock waves within him. "A rock that
cracked!" he said to himself.
But the basic message of the story is this: the Lord's love does not
fail however much we fail him. Peter had built his whole relationship
with Jesus Christ on his assumed capacity to be adequate. That's why he
took his denial of the Lord so hard. His strength, loyalty, and faithfulness
were his self-generated assets of discipleship. The fallacy in Peter's mind
was this: he believed his relationship was dependent on his consistency
in producing the qualities he thought had earned him the Lord's approval.
Many of us face the same problem. We project onto the Lord our own
measured standard of acceptance. Our whole understanding of him is
based in a quid pro quo of bartered love. He will love us as if we are
good, moral, and diligent. But we have turned the tables; we try to live
so that he will love us, rather than living because he has already loved us.
Who is Lloyd Ogilvie? Lloyd John Ogilvie, is a Presbyterian minister,
who served as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2003. Dr.
Ogilvie, had a nationally syndicated weekly television show prior to
serving the Senate called, "Let God Love You." It aired for 17 years.
Dr. Ogilvie felt his role as Chaplain was to act as an intercessor for
Senators, be a trusted prayer partner and faith counselor. He sought
to keep the office as nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan.
He provide spiritual leadership and support to the Senate through
many significant events including the impeachment of President
Clinton; the attacks on 911; the anthrax attack in the Senate; and
the contested Presidential election in 2000. Dr. Ogilvie has received
numerous awards and authored 49 books.
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