Choosing Calling over Comfort - Encouragement for Today - February 20, 2020

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- February 20, 2020 Choosing Calling Over Comfort [LYSA TERKEURST]( [Listen to this devotion]( “ … Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’” [John 21:15]( (NIV) Have you ever felt God stirring you to do something that’s terrifyingly outside of your comfort zone? Something completely opposite of what you think you want to do? I confess that left to my own choosing, I want to take the safe, certain and comfortable route. And then Scriptures march right up to my limited perspective and challenge me to walk a path I’d never choose on my own. A question forms in my heart. One that forces me to stop and reconsider the path that terrifies: Do you love Jesus and want Him more than anything else? It’s this question the resurrected Jesus asked one of His disciples, Peter, at a crucial crossroad in Peter’s life. And goodness gracious, do I ever relate to Peter. He’d been following Jesus for years when things got hard. Jesus was crucified, and Peter took his eyes off the hard path of continuing in ministry he’d been called to. He went back to what felt safe, certain and comfortable … his original occupation of fishing. When the resurrected Jesus appeared in the flesh, He ruined Peter’s justifications to stay safe. Peter’s destiny wasn’t to be a fisherman for the rest of his life. He was to be a shepherd of God’s people. “ … Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’” ([John 21:15](. For Peter, the “these” which Jesus referenced might have been the large number of fish he’d just caught. Or “these” could have been anything else pulling Peter away from his calling. We all have our own “these” areas in life — things we sometimes choose over Jesus. Thankfully, Jesus continues to invite us to a life of more. A life where we refuse to settle for less than all He’s called and designed us to do and to be. That’s why I love the directives Jesus gives Peter in [John 21:15](. I find it fascinating that Jesus asks Peter to do three things which mirror how shepherds actually care for their sheep in Israel even today. Jesus commands Peter: [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2020 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](