Why we do stupid stuff…

Poor Peter. (Poor me.)

Peter was always doing stupid stuff, sticking his foot in his mouth, passionately declaring one thing while acting out another, jumping out of the boat then sinking, proving his valor by chopping off an ear. I wish I couldn’t relate quite so much.

In Galatians 2, Paul tells us yet another story about poor Peter.  Peter, a Jew, was living out the gospel authentically, living out what he had preached by eating with the Gentiles (in the Jewish custom Jews and Gentiles had to dine separately, but the gospel declared all one in Christ).

But when some other Jewish men came along, (that is, the religious big wigs) he began pulling away and only eating with Jews. Paul takes issue with this and confronts Peter in front of everyone, pointing out Peter’s hypocrisy that was tarnishing the pure message of the gospel. He says, in so many words:

“Peter, you’re acting stupid.”

Peter should have known better than any apostle that God has declared all foods—and people—clean. Through a miraculous vision in Act 10, God revealed this truth to Peter and Peter then affirmed this truth in Acts 10:28:

“You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. … Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” (v.34)

The revelation about this specific thing came directly from God through Peter, and yet here he is – weak, fearful, vacillating. Why? What would drive Peter to hypocrisy, to compromising the very truth that had been revealed to him by God Himself? What would drive Peter to do this?

Verse 12 tells us: Peter was “fearing …”

Fear.

It wasn’t that his beliefs were off, Peter knew the truth, it was that he was giving in to pressure – He was simply falling prey to the fear of man. Even though he knew the freedom of the gospel, his freedom was stolen by his fear.

Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man is a snare.” The word-picture here is someone walking along and tripped up by the fear of man, causing the person to get caught and fall down.

I’ve fallen down the stairs too many times to count. How do you feel when you fall down the stairs? Or trip over your feet?  Or miss a step and eat it in front of everyone?

Yup. That’s the word picture.

Peter is acting stupid. The fear of man makes us do stupid things and even makes us compromise our faith, all because of who we’re trying to impress.

Anybody else every been there?

Today, friend, Who are we trying to please? 

Here’s the trick: The best way to quit fearing and pleasing man and start fearing and pleasing God isn’t to focus on people and pleasing them or fearing them, it’s by simply learning to please and fear God more than anything else. Study who He is. Right now in Bible study we are studying the names and nature of God, and it is phenomenal! When we actually see who He is, in His greatness and glory, those other little fear-of-man snares slide to the wayside in the glory of who He is. The best way to escape the fear of man: increase your daily input of studying, seeing, and savoring the greatness and glory of God.

We’ll still do stupid stuff, but, Lord willing, a lot less often.

{Stumbling along with you; thanks for reading.}