I’m the Demolition Man! – Wednesday

Week 1 | Jesus Gets Us

Listen instead of reading

Take a Moment

Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today

Read The Daily

 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. (Matthew 16:18)

When I was younger, I worked one time helping a guy with a renovation project.  I told him that I wasn’t great with construction even though I’m a Carpenter (dad joke, you’re welcome!).  He said he had the perfect job for me.  Since he was remodeling, he just needed me to be the “demolition man”.  I’m pretty sure I gave myself that title, but I liked it!  I was supposed to take a sledgehammer and just destroy everything standing in that room.  I realized that day that I was actually pretty good at construction work.  A friend once said about myself and my brothers that “if we can’t eat or wear it, then we’ll destroy it”. I was born for this moment from years of experience destroying so many things with my brothers.  

When we encounter doubt in our faith, it can feel just as scary as demo day. Once a seed of doubt grows in our mind, we might feel anxious, afraid, or even angry. We might be frustrated that we’re questioning what we’ve always believed is true. We might feel shame for feeling that way or afraid to talk about it with others.  But here’s the thing about demo day. It doesn’t destroy the situation forever. The breaking is necessary for the breakthrough. You can’t leave the leak alone, letting it fester and produce mold. In the same way, you can’t leave your doubts unaddressed and unexpressed because they’ll only get louder and become more isolating.

But we serve a God who isn’t frightened by brokenness. In the middle of the mess, God is there. He is present. He is not distant in our doubts. He draws near to us, and He would much rather you express your unbelief to Him than walk away from Him altogether.  We see this principle in Peter’s journey. There’s a moment where Jesus allows him to miraculously walk on water. But as his focus shifts from Jesus to the chaos around him, he starts sinking. Jesus catches him, helps him to safety, and asks: “why did you doubt?”  What if that question is not an accusation but rather an invitation? What if Jesus was asking Peter to bring his deepest doubts to Him, genuinely wanting to know why he doubted? What if he asked not to shame him but rather to show him that He cares and is big enough to handle his doubts? So in the middle of your doubt, Jesus is near. Your doubt doesn’t disqualify you. Peter went on to become one of the most influential leaders in the early church. So even when everything in your life feels like a cluttered, untethered mess, God can use your doubt to deepen your faith.

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it? 

God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?

Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

4 x 6 Plan | Read: Matthew 7:15-29 & Romans 5:1-11