Get Up!
Peter replied, “even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” —Matthew 26:33–34
Are you discouraged today because, in spite of your best efforts, you can’t seem to land a job interview? Are you wrestling with feelings of despair because full- time work continues to evade you? Has your spouse or another family member wounded you with their words because you’re unable to provide as you once did? Are you tempted to deny that God still cares for you because somehow you’ve blown it?
Let me unpack this two ways: with a personal illustration and with Peter’s story.
When I was 12 years old, I made the all-star team in the Chicago Baseball Little League. I’ll never forget one big game against a nearby league. I came up to bat in the bottom of the last inning; the score was tied, there were two outs, and the bases were loaded. I was shaking all over as I approached the plate.
The coach had told me to take the first four pitches. Four pitches? I could strike out without even swinging the bat.
The first two pitches were way outside. The next two were strikes. My coach called me over and said, “Take one more pitch, and then you’re on your own.” The next pitch missed the strike zone, so now the count was full. The pressure was unbelievable, as I realized this was a defining moment for me and for my team. I knew I could get a hit if I just kept my eye on the ball. I waited for the pitch. The ball had to be at least two feet outside. I swung . . . and missed. I would have sent the ball into the next county if my bat had only been several feet longer!
As I approached the dugout, the three guys who were stranded on base followed me in, saying, “Nice going, Rick. You just blew the game for the whole team!” Wow, did that hurt.
The game went into extra innings — and we lost. Even though I went on to bat .500 in post-season play, it seemed like I was never able to make up for my failure in their eyes.
The hurt and despair of being unemployed while in the ""big leagues"" of life, especially with a family to provide for, was far more devastating, since the consequences are greater than losing a ballgame. We’re talking a loss of career, a loss of income, a loss of self-respect and a loss of identity. What’s more, if we allow our emotions to go unchecked, failure in our career path has a way of leading to depression — especially the longer our job search drags on.
If anyone in the Bible had a reason to be crushed by despair it would have been Peter, a disciple of Jesus. Just before Jesus’ arrest, Peter arrogantly proclaimed that he would never leave or betray Jesus — even though Jesus had just predicted that all of his disciples would fall away. Jesus, in turn, assured Peter that he would indeed deny him before the rooster crowed three times. And sure enough, Peter did.
Listen to the intensity of Peter’s denial in Matthew 26:74: “Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’ ”
He called down curses? This was no casual denial or “innocent” white lie. After the rooster crowed, we’re told, “Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken . . . And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).
But that’s not the end of Peter’s story. Peter had a choice to make. He could fall into utter despair and accomplish nothing, or he could find his strength in Jesus to carry on — which is what he chose to do. This illustrates that even Jesus’ disciples messed up, yet they got up and continued on their assigned path.
Is our transition journey so very different? I think not. We fight despair. We wrestle with the debilitating thoughts and feelings that no one wants our talents. We even toy with the idea of giving up on God’s ability to provide for us.
Let me encourage you to get up! Your journey is not over. In fact, it may have just begun. With the Lord’s help we must get up from our self-pity, our sea of regrets and our fear of failure, and proceed to the next opportunity. Don’t allow anything to come between you and the assigned task the Lord has for you.
This seven-day devotional is drawn from Why Did I Lose My Job If God Loves Me: Help and Hope for Those in Career Transition by Rick J. Pritikin.
