Are You More Like Bold Peter or Doubting Thomas?

The apostle Peter is known as the bold one. He walked on water, was the first apostle to race to the tomb when he learned Jesus wasn’t there, and became the foundation of the church we know today as Christianity. Though we admire his boldness, few of us feel awe can live up to such standards. Most of us relate more to Thomas, Doubting Thomas than Peter. Today I want to shift our thoughts on Peter and show that he and Thomas had more in common than we realize. 

We sometimes forget that Peter wasn’t always as courageous as we give him credit for. Like Thomas, Peter wavered in his faith at times. He could be emotional and sometimes doubted–even denying Jesus in His darkest hour.

We all know the story of when Jesus walked on water in the storm. The apostles were frightened when they saw Jesus walking toward them in the darkness. Jesus told them they didn’t need to be afraid and to take courage because he was with them. In a moment of boldness, Peter called to Jesus, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.” Jesus replied, “Yes, come.” A few steps into it, Peter realized where he was, saw the strong wind and waves, and became terrified. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Save me, Lord!” As Jesus reached out and grabbed him, He said, “You have so little faith; why did you doubt me?”

Have you had moments like that? Moments when you took courageous action and then realized you were in danger or outside your comfort zone and started to focus on the storm around you instead of on Jesus?

I know I have. In so many aspects of my life, I’ve doubted my ability to complete a project, say the right thing (even on my podcast), or make a decision as a parent. I’m amazed at how often I question what to wear, what to say, or do. I even find myself afraid I’ll offend someone if I speak truth, then I question if I will lead someone astray if I don’t. Doubts are everywhere.

When I allow myself to go down those paths, I’m just like Peter when he looked away from Jesus and focused on the storm. And that’s ok! Think of Thomas. He wanted proof that it was Jesus in that room after Jesus’ resurrection. He not only wanted to see for himself, but he also wanted to touch Jesus’ wounds for the proof he needed. Jesus didn’t shame him for his doubt, nor did he chastise him. Just because he doubted it didn’t mean that Thomas didn’t believe either. Some people need to doubt–it’s part of how they process. When they doubt, they ask questions. When they have questions, they look for answers. If they look for answers in the right places, that doubt has served them well.

It’s when we allow our doubt to cause us to dig in our heels and no longer believe or trust Jesus that it becomes a problem. It’s then that we allow our pride to get in the way. It’s this prideful lifestyle that we live that will hurt us and our faith. Instead of allowing that to happen, let your search for truth deepen your faith rather than lessen it.

A trend I see today is the need for believers to see miracles before they trust Jesus. They get into the “if you do this, God, then I’ll truly believe.” Asking this of God is not unlike when the teachers of the religious law and Pharisees asked Jesus to give them a miraculous sign to prove His authority. Jesus’ reply was powerful. He started by saying, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Now, I could put the whole passage here, but I’m not going to. I challenge you to read it yourself in Matthew 12:38-45.

At the end of this discussion, Jesus warned that if people rid their lives of sin but don’t fill their lives with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, they will leave themselves open to a greater threat from Satan. The last few sentences of verse 45 are frightening. “And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

I find it interesting that the Religious leaders were looking for a sign. They, of all people, should have known that all the clues pointed to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. But because it didn’t fit their agenda, they found a way to get rid of Jesus.

As this post releases, we are in the midst of Holy Week. I always marvel at how the crowds of that day went from singing Hosanas and praising Jesus on Sunday to shouting curses at Him and demanding the authorities crucify Him by Friday. It makes me shudder at the power the people in authority had over the people’s perceptions.

In their hearts, the people knew Jesus was the Messiah. But as the days unfolded, they began to doubt what they knew. They bought the lies of the people in power and allowed themselves to be swayed against Jesus, and for a known criminal, they were sold a lie, and they bought it hook, line, and sinker,

Does anyone else feel that is what is happening in our society today? We are being told that our human desires are more important than obedience to God’s will and are blindly following and believing things that counter God’s desires. Have we, as Christians, swept sin from our lives and tried to be good people but neglected to fill our souls with God’s Word? Are we not listening to where He leads and, as a result, end up doing things God never intended us to do?

I can’t help but wonder.

I encourage you to think long and hard about this. Pray about it. Search Scriptures and ask God to give you His wisdom and guide you to His Words that will fill you with Truth–Godly Truth,

My book, A Different View, tells us why it is essential to do so. The short answer is that time is running out. We have a purpose here on earth, and every one of us has a spot saved in heaven. That is, if we don’t let pride get in the way and keep us from seeking God, His truth, and asking for forgiveness when we fall short. It’s not too late to turn your ship around and live for Christ and in God’s will. There is still time to tell your story to those God brings into your life so they, too, can live in His truth.

I know; it sounds daunting. That’s why I also wrote Equipped for More: 10 Essential Habits to Stop Your Doubts and Fear of Judgement So You Can Boldly Live Your Faith. It is an easy read and will give you a firm foundation to get started living your faith.

Do you need these books to have the confidence to live the life God created you to live? No. The Bible truly is the only book we ever need. These books are an excellent place to start if the Bible seems overwhelming.

Thomas was misjudged by his one statement and was labeled as a doubter because of it. In reality, he, too, was courageous. We forget that when Jesus was telling the apostles it was time to head into Jerusalem and that it would not end well for Him, Thomas was the one that said, “Let’s go–die with Jesus.” None of them knew where that journey would lead them, just like, other than heaven, none of us know where our journey will lead us.

As a side note, Christians often question whether they or a loved one will be in heaven. You will be there if you believe Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. No question. What does that mean? The Bible shows us that Jesus is the only way. It is chock full of ways to show that you believe. And it comes with the promise that if we stumble and fall short, which we will, we are forgiven for that. It’s that simple, So stop doubting and start sharing that beautiful promise with everyone you meet!

As you walk through this week and every week, I implore you to focus on Jesus. Get into His Word–learn to trust Him, and see how your life will change. I assure you, it will be richer, and you will find the peace and fulfillment your soul longs for.

So here’s the bottom line. Whether you relate to Thomas or Peter, it doesn’t matter. Both had doubts, and both were powerful ambassadors for Jesus. And you can be, too.

We all have doubts and fears at times, and we all have the opportunity to use those doubts to propel us to seek the truth. If you immerse yourself in God’s Word, whether through self-study, a good devotional, a small group study, or by having it spoken over us at church, you will learn to hear God’s voice and will grow in your ability to discern what is true and what is not. It helps if you find others who live a biblical worldview so you can encourage and support one another in this journey.

Thank you for reading this today. I know your time is valuable, and I am grateful you took the time to read my thoughts here. Remember, this can also be listened to on the podcast and the beautiful thing about podcasts is that you can listen while doing other things. If you were driving, doing chores, or whatever else keeps you busy, and you heard or read something you’d like to go back and find, I have an amazing new tool you will love. This podcast and every other episode I’ve recorded are available in a searchable format, so you can find it by looking for a word, name, date, or virtually anything. I am so excited to share this powerful tool with you! Check it out at. Let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to check out my new searchable membership site, which is free at https://vonajohnson.ck.page/search.

Until next time, God bless, and remember to always live your more!!

You can listen to the episode here.