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Sink or Swim, God’s Love Will Not Quit

By Bonnie Gray • October 1, 2009 • 13 Comments

This summer, my three year old started beginner swimming lessons. To my surprise, he whizzed past Level One tear-free.

So, I was pretty surprised how anxious my little guppy became just a few weeks into Level Two swim class.

“I am going to sink!” TJ wails, his eyes wild with fear.

His fingers suddenly stick like suction cups. His arms and legs wrap around me like a starfish clinging to a rock.

After I tried reasoning with him, I turned to bribery. After five minutes of tough negotiation, both parties reached an agreement.

Back home, as my little buddy scores unpackages a toy car to add to his collection, I decided to clue him in on an important fact.

“You know, Teacher Mike isn’t just a regular swim teacher.  He’s actually a swim coach.”

“There’s a race for swimming?” TJ turns to ask. I see I struck a chord.

“Oh, totally.” I put on my nonchalant walk to the kitchen. Steps follow.

“Will Teacher Mike help me go fast?.. I want to be super fast!”

The following week, TJ enters the pool, still nervous and water wary, but willing to learn.

Teacher Mike is no longer just a teacher. He’s a swim coach.

Two Men See A Different Jesus

Even though they were both discipled by Jesus and failed Him miserably, Judas took his own life, while Peter went on to become the rock that God built His church on.

What made one give up on Jesus, while the other was saved by Him?*

Judas saw Jesus as a good man he betrayed.

Judas didn’t believe that Jesus was God who truly loved Him, someone who could treasure him, even with his imperfections.

Peter, however, saw Jesus as the Lord he betrayed.

Jesus was able to save Peter because he didn’t end his life.  It gave Jesus a chance to love him in his mistakes and change the course of his life forever.

Mistakes Cannot Thwart God’s Love or Destiny

We all make mistakes.

How we view God when we fail can determine whether we sink or swim.

God’s plan can’t be so frail, to be easily derailed by mistakes! God is smart enough to take imperfections into account, sovereign enough to work through them, and wise enough to flex with them in real life.

These comforting truths give me room to grow and blunder.

Because God’s love can cover a multitude of sins, Jesus could have saved Judas. He just never gave Jesus the chance.

As we walk and stumble our way to new endeavors, be encouraged by the loving Friend and faithful Lord we belong to.

God will finish the work He started in us.  He will stick with us to the very end.  No matter what.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”  Romans 8:38-39

How do you respond to mistakes?
How has God’s love lifted you lately?

(*) I asked this question while reading Failure: Beginning or End? on Make a Difference to One.

Today's post is Part 3 in a series titled, "What's New With You?".

Be sure to catch:
Part 1:  Never Too Late To Make Room For New
Part 2:  Faith Isn't Sci-Fi:  Change Takes TIme

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13 Comments

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13 Comments

  • Reply Heather Sunseri October 1, 2009 at 5:38 am

    I love the title of this post, because sometimes I do feel like I’m sinking. And I’m so thankful that God will not let me drown even when I think I’m close.

  • Reply Russell Holloway October 1, 2009 at 5:51 am

    Hey Bonnie,

    Before I’ve always thought of Judas’ actions after betraying Jesus as inevitable, fate if you will. You’ve offered to me a new perspective I’ve not considered. He could have reacted differently, sought forgiveness. Comparing Peter and Judas, their reactions after their independent betrayals, is good stuff.

  • Reply Bridget Chumbley October 1, 2009 at 9:36 am

    What a smart way to approach your sons fears, Bonnie.

    I love this: Mistakes Cannot Thwart God’s Love or Destiny…what a great thing to remember!

  • Reply Ginny (MAD21) October 1, 2009 at 10:03 am

    It’s a great perspective isn’t it, Bonnie? Changes thing a little to know that Jesus would have forgiven Judas, but Judas didn’t give him the chance.

    I loved what you wrote in your comment on my site. This makes it that much better. Thanks for elaborating.

  • Reply Never Too Late to Make Room For New | Faith Barista October 1, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    […] Comments Doug Spurling on Faith Isn’t Sci-Fi: Change Takes TimeGinny (MAD21) on Sink or Swim, God’s Love Will Not QuitBridget Chumbley on Sink or Swim, God’s Love Will Not QuitRussell Holloway on Sink or Swim, […]

  • Reply Bonnie Gray October 1, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    @Heather: I know. The sinking feeling is very misleading.
    @Russell: It was encouraging to me, pondering this also.
    @Bridget: It’s a liberating truth I fall back on all the time.
    @Ginny: Thanks, Ginny. Keep up those life-giving posts on MAD21!

  • Reply Jennifer October 1, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    I am so grateful for all those comforting truths!!

  • Reply Bonnie Gray October 1, 2009 at 11:54 pm

    @Jennifer: Totally agree, Jenniferr. Very comforting. Aaahhh…

  • Reply God Is In Every Season: Desert Song | Faith Barista October 2, 2009 at 12:12 am

    […] At the end of the day, nothing can derail us from God’s destiny for us. […]

  • Reply Doug Spurling October 3, 2009 at 6:25 am

    “God’s plan can’t be so frail, to be easily derailed by mistakes! God is smart enough to take imperfections into account, sovereign enough to work through them, and wise enough to flex with them in real life.

    These comforting truths give me room to grow and blunder”

    The world needs to hear this, I needed to hear this.

    Can I post it on the world-wide-web?

    Great post Bonnie.

    (I’ve taught lots of kids to swim, but my granddaughter is Skeered. I haven’t tried bribery. thanks for the tip.)

  • Reply The Bloom of Becoming | Faith Barista October 6, 2009 at 11:20 am

    […] been talking a lot about newness and how beautiful it is to reach for it, in our steps of […]

  • Reply Bible Study December 5, 2010 at 5:11 pm

    I am glad that God takes my (what many would call) mistakes into account when forming his perfect will for our lives. In the eyes of many, I have made more than my share of mistakes, but God has kept me afloat so far. I keep waiting for him to fail me, but he never does. God’s love is amazing

  • Reply A Whitespace Challenge for Rest | Faith Barista March 6, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    […] Of You Part 1: Never Too Late To Make Room For New Part 2: Faith Isn't Sci-Fi: Change Takes TIme Part 3: Sink or Swim, God's Love Won't Quit Part 4: A Faith Intervention Part 5: The Bloom of Becoming If you enjoyed today's post, you may […]

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