The story of Peter’s reinstatement in John 21.15–18 means a lot to me.

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘The story of Peter’s reinstatement in John 21.15–18 means a lot to me. He was a simple, ignorant fisherman and yet became such a significant person in the history of the Church. God could have used anyone, but he used him. 

‘I was in the military and then the police force. I wasn’t raised as a Christian. Yet, both myself and my wife felt at a crossroads and that it would be a big change. I was discussing going into the ministry. 

‘That passage spoke to me. It was as if Jesus was saying, “Are you willing to change?” That was the dilemma I had. There were so many processes to go through to apply for ministry. I hoped that it wouldn’t come back positive – that would have been much easier. But the moment came when I had to say that I was leaving the police force. Leaving a well-respected, well-paid career and going into the unknown was scary. I wasn’t worried about the finance: I thought that was God’s problem. But who wants to be a minister? I had done riots. And who doesn’t love being able to speed on the road?! 

‘I had to recognise that I was leaving everything behind. This passage helped, because irrespective of what I wanted, Jesus is saying, “Do you honestly love me?” That was a defining moment for me. It’s helped me since to keep Peter in mind.’

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