Iron Girls Bible Study ~ John 13

Peter’s immaturity is highlighted in this chapter.

• Impulsive “You shall never wash my feet!” (v. 8)
• Dramatic “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (v. 9)
• Impatient  “Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.” (v. 24)
• Self-focused “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” (v. 37)

While I would not consider myself as having a “Peter Personality,” I can relate to each of these descriptive adjectives.

What I am learning about being:

• Impulsive – When in an emotionally charged state of mind, beware the “nevers.”
• Dramatic –  Resist allowing the drama of a moment to overshadow the truth.
• Impatient – God is never in a hurry. However we are often hurried, if not in the outward physical sense, then in an interior way.
• Self-focused  –  God often hints at what is possible and if we are not careful, we charge full speed ahead to take it in our own strength.

 Oswald Chambers writes, “We always have visions, before a thing is made real. God gives us the vision, then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision...”

We know from the passage in Luke 22, that Satan asks to sift Peter. Jesus prays that Peter’s faith should not fail. And although Peter gives into temptation and three times denies the Lord, we also know that unlike Judas, Peter repents and is restored. Peter’s faith matures and he grows:

·        Determined

·        Disciplined

·        Dedicated

·        God-focused