Good morning. Let me ask you something before you scroll on. Have you ever felt like God was for other people? The ones who pray out loud without stumbling, who never lose their temper in the car line, who seem to have their whole lives tucked neatly into place? I spent a lot of years thinking I had to clean myself up first, and then maybe, eventually, God would want to walk with me.
Then I really looked at Peter.
The Invitation on the Shore
Peter was a working fisherman with rough hands and a quick mouth. When Jesus walked up to him on the shore of Galilee, He didn’t interview him. He didn’t ask about his past or check whether he had his act together. He said two words:
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19 (KJV)
Follow me. That’s it. And Peter dropped his nets and went.
Peter Was Not Perfect (Not Even Close)
Here’s what I love: following Jesus didn’t turn Peter into a flawless man overnight. He stepped out of the boat and started sinking when fear got louder than faith. He argued with Jesus. He cut off a servant’s ear in the garden. And on the night Jesus needed him most, Peter swore three times that he didn’t even know Him.
If anybody had a reason to believe he’d been disqualified, it was Peter. I imagine he went back to fishing because he thought that part of his life was over. He’d blown it, and he knew it.
The Same Two Words, Again
But after the resurrection, Jesus showed up on a shore again. He cooked Peter breakfast. He gave him three chances to say “I love You,” one for every denial. And then He repeated the very same invitation:
“Follow thou me.” — John 21:22 (KJV)
Not “follow me once you’ve proven yourself.” Not “follow me from a distance until you earn your spot back.” Just follow me. The invitation never expired. Peter’s failure didn’t cancel it.
And if it didn’t cancel his, it doesn’t cancel yours.
The Lie We Believe
So many of us carry this quiet belief that God is only close to the people who have it all together. We think the yelling, the doubting, the falling back into old habits, the things we’d never say out loud, have put us outside the circle. So we keep Him at arm’s length and tell ourselves we’ll come back when we’re better.
But Jesus never built His team out of perfect people. He chose fishermen, a tax collector, doubters and deniers. He chose Peter. Grace was never meant to be a reward for the polished. It’s the open door for the ones who know they need it.
Journal Prompt
Grab your journal and finish this sentence honestly: “The thing that makes me feel like I can’t follow Jesus right now is ___.” Then underneath it, write His two words: Follow me. Sit with how He answers what you wrote.
A Small Practical Step
Write “Follow me” on a sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it on your hardest moments: the bathroom mirror, the dashboard, the coffee maker. When the voice in your head says you’ve messed up too much today, let those two words answer it. Some days I need a reminder I can hold, which is why I love keeping a little faith piece from the Cozy Cottage where I’ll see it every morning.
You don’t have to be perfect to follow Him. You just have to follow. He’s standing on the shore of your life right now, mess and all, saying the same two words He said to Peter. Not once, but again and again.
With so much love,
Momma J 🤍
Want a little reminder to carry with you? Shop My Cozy Cottage Collection for handmade pieces made with the same love we’re talking about today.
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