It is remarkable to watch the growth of Peter. When this fisherman was first called to follow Jesus, he struggled. Jesus once said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33). You see this struggle as he denied, cursing and swearing that he did not even know Jesus. He serves as an example to keep serving Him and drawing near to Him.
Think of how deeply spiritual these words were that Peter wrote shortly before he died. His first epistle was written to Christians throughout all of Asia Minor where Paul had established churches on all three of his missionary journeys. Read these words to see how much Peter had changed and was now mindful of the things of God. These saints were being heavily persecuted. “But may the God of all grace…after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you” (1 Pet. 5:10). At first Peter was far from being deeply spiritual, but “after a while” he had learned that if you do not give up, God has promised He will change you.
Perfected, After a While
Peter prayed for those saints to be perfect, “after a while.” This Greek word does not mean sinless but emphasizes growth that takes place. It is like a rose bud which has become a beautiful rose when it reaches maturity. All roses must begin as a tiny bulb. It is used to describe the difference in a daughter who is born beautiful but who grows to truly become beautiful when she is grown. Peter prayed that they might do this!
Established, After a While
Peter also prayed that these saints would grow so that they could be firmly established in their faith. This is what happened to Peter. He struggled when he began, but he died as a martyr. The longer we follow Jesus the more established we become. This is what changed Peter, and it will change you.
Strengthened, After a While
The trials of Peter and of those Christians in Asia Minor caused them to grow to be more like Jesus, whose example of suffering and victory becomes an example for us. The storms in our lives cause the roots of our faith to grow deeper, and we are strengthened by them “after a while.” This is what happened to Peter.
Settled, After a While
This word “settled” is the same word Jesus used to describe the house of the wise man. When the winds blew and the rain fell, it stood because it was founded on doing what is right. Do not give up on yourself. It takes a while to build a strong house, but Peter built it and so can we!
-Dan Jenkins
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