Author: Bridget Turner

I am a fan of Peter’s. My small group has heard me say that Peter is my Bible boyfriend! My favorite thing about him is that he has done something no one else but Jesus has—Peter walked on water! (Matthew 14:28-30) That is amazing, but as we heard in our message this week, Peter also denied knowing Jesus—not just once, but three times. After the third time, Peter hears a rooster crow and remembers that Jesus had told him this would happen (Matthew 26:31-35). It is hard to imagine how disillusioned and discouraged Peter must have felt at that moment. Matthew 26 closes with Peter leaving the courtyard, weeping bitterly. He was devastated.

Thankfully, scripture gives us more of Peter’s story. In Acts 2, we find Peter preaching and sharing the Gospel. Verse 41 says, “So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.” In Acts 3, Peter and John are going to the temple to pray. A lame man stops them and asks for money. Peter responds, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” They help the man get up, and he enters the temple with them, praising God. Peter performs a miracle—the first one recorded in scripture after Jesus’ ascension.

Yes, Peter sinned and denied Christ, but God still used him mightily. Like Peter, whatever has you disillusioned has not disqualified you from God’s kingdom. Ask God to give you the strength to stand firm in your faith and the courage to embrace His forgiveness and transform your life for His glory.

Praying scripture is one of the most powerful ways we can ask God to help us. David, another Bible hero, wrote Psalm 51 after he was caught in sin and disillusioned with himself. Take a little time today and pray these verses over yourself:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.”
—Psalm 51:10-13

A couple of months ago, I attended a conference where one of the speakers talked about Jonah’s story in the Bible. My mind immediately rattled off these few bullet points:

• God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh and share the gospel.
• Jonah got on a boat headed in the opposite direction.
• A storm came up, and Jonah was thrown overboard.
• A big fish swallowed Jonah for three days and then spit him out.
• Jonah went to Nineveh, and the people believed God.

The speaker outlined many of the same points, and we all laughed at how we had probably remembered the same Sunday School lesson! However, there were two parts to Jonah’s story that we had not recalled.

First, Jonah 1:3 says, “Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.” The Lord had barely finished speaking, and Jonah decided to disobey. Secondly, the Lord sent a storm, and while everyone else panicked, Jonah slept. The scripture says, “Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep” (Jonah 1:5).

When we underestimate the deception of sin, we can forget who we know God to be. Jonah was a prophet and knew that God is omnipresent—everywhere, all the time. Yet Jonah tried to flee from Him. Further, no matter how comfortable we become in our sin, God’s desire for our redemption does not change: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:23-24).

In our focus verses today, James reminds us that sin’s deception is a spiral that leads to death. If you find yourself caught up in sin that has disillusioned you, I pray that you would ask God for strength to pursue godliness and righteousness. And may you remember that He is a good Father, ever present, watching over you.

In a recent conversation with a young adult, they talked about taking a break from social media and setting boundaries for how they would return. When I asked why, their response surprised me. They admitted to mindlessly scrolling, wasting tons of time, and “losing brain cells.” The most surprising part was that they realized how much they had been buying products based on influencers’ recommendations—things they neither needed nor wanted, which are now being donated. As we parted, they shared some good news: they now have time to focus on the spiritual disciplines they have been learning about in their small group! The self-awareness and humility in their story are both refreshing and convicting.

My young friend was practicing what Paul encourages all of us to do in Romans. Being honest and using sober judgment to see ourselves as God sees us is key to avoiding disillusionment. Paul urges us not to be arrogant and to recognize our worth and abilities in light of God’s grace. He practices this humility and self-awareness in writing to Timothy, declaring himself the worst among sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul understood that any ability he had was a result of God’s grace, not his own merit.

Charles Spurgeon says of Paul’s declaration: “This godly sensitivity toward sin was associated in the apostle’s mind with an equally vivid sense of the freeness and richness of divine grace.” He adds, “The people who are most clear in their witness that salvation is by grace are also the people for whom sin is exceedingly sinful.”

Living with self-awareness and humility helps create a right view of who we are in Christ. Like my young friend, we will stop the mindless scrolling and empty purchases, making space for time with God, prayer, and serving others. Disillusionment with ourselves over sin will turn to repentance and living in the power of the cross and Christ’s forgiveness.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I am following The Bible Recap plan to read through the Bible chronologically this year. So far, the reading has included the story of creation, the Fall, and Job’s story. Already, I am noticing how humanity becomes disillusioned with itself.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin and hide from God. God comes to find them in the evening and asks, “Where are you?” Adam replies, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” (Genesis 3:10). Adam is disillusioned with himself because of his disobedience. Now, he fears God, his Creator, and feels shame over his physical body.

Job’s story spans 42 chapters, with the Lord describing Job to Satan as “…the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” (Job 1:8). Satan argues that Job only fears God because he is blessed. God then allows Satan to have authority over Job’s possessions and, eventually, his body—but not his life. Job experiences immeasurable loss and suffering, and his body becomes covered with boils to the point of being barely recognizable. Throughout all of Satan’s attacks, we read that Job does not sin (Job 1:22, 2:10).

In Chapter 3, Job’s disillusionment begins as he curses the day he was born and engages in a long discourse with three friends. Eventually, they grow tired of the back-and-forth and leave Job. A younger man, Elihu, arrives and becomes angry because Job justified himself rather than God. Elihu delivers another lengthy speech, after which the Lord Himself replies and reminds Job of who He is. Job responds to God, “I know you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” (Job 42:2).

Job forgot who God is and assumed his life was not valuable. God reminds him that He is the Creator, Sovereign, and Omnipotent. That truth did not change just because Job’s life was in turmoil. In the end, God restores Job’s life, family, and possessions—greater than before.

My prayer for us today is that, whether our disillusionment stems from disobedience or God’s allowance, we remember who God is and that His love endures forever.

Like me, you may be wondering what it means to be disillusioned with yourself. Merriam-Webster defines “disillusioned” as “having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good or valuable; the condition of being dissatisfied or defeated in expectation or hope.”

We have just turned the page and started a brand-new year: 2025. Many of us resolved to do something—eat better, exercise more, limit screen time, or read through the Bible. At some point, I have made resolutions to do all those things, only to quit before the end of January! Year after year, the disillusionment with myself is palpable as disappointment sets in and my hope of staying the course is lost. Those resolutions are all good and helpful things, so why couldn’t I do it? One thing I know is that I started each of those decisions totally depending on myself to succeed, with motives that were self-centered. However, this year, 2025, I challenged myself a bit differently.

The Bible Recap is a resource I often refer to when studying the Bible or writing devotionals. It is a yearly Bible reading plan that follows the Word chronologically. The creator, Tara-Leigh Cobble, also provides a brief recap of each day’s reading. Several friends followed the plan in 2024, and admittedly, I was jealous when they posted a celebratory graphic on social media on the last day of the year saying, “Congratulations from The Bible Recap for successfully completing the plan.” It was frustrating that another year had passed and I had yet to read the Bible through from beginning to end. My attitude began to improve, though, as so many of them posted their excitement to start again on January 1, 2025!

Sunday’s message reminded us that we need to admit where we need help to overcome our disillusionment. That is exactly what I did as I determined to begin The Bible Recap plan myself. I asked a couple of friends to hold me accountable, and they not only agreed but also joined me on the plan. Twenty days in, and we are going strong!

I am praying that you know it is never too late to make a change, to start over, or to forgive yourself. Start by asking God to help you, and then gather some friends who will encourage, support, and pray for you.

As we wrap up this week, I wanted to share a family story that happened recently involving the church I grew up in. It is where I met Jesus, was baptized, and got married, along with many in my extended family. Some portion of our family had been a part of that church for over half a century until about 12 years ago. The details of the story are not mine to share, but collectively, those in the family still attending the church decided it was best for them to leave. God graciously gave them a new home church that welcomed them in and allowed them to heal. In fact, one of my cousins accepted the call to ministry shortly after making the change and has been their pastor for a few years now.

Several weeks ago, he was invited back to the original church to speak at their homecoming services. When my mom told me this, I thought I had misheard her. In addition, she and several family members were going to support him. This could only be by the grace of God because my mom was probably the most hurt and broken from all of it.

Here’s how my mom described their day: “We could not have felt more welcome and been treated any better. So many people hugged us and said how thankful they were to have us there.” They even stayed for lunch. I laughed because the original plan was to get in and get out (In case you’re not familiar with homecoming at small-town churches, there is always lunch after the service with the best food!). I have no idea what prompted the invitation, but what I do know is that God granted our family His blessing through it. Reconciliation is the sweetest gift. It is, after all, what Christ did for the church.

Obeying the words of 1 Peter 3 is not always easy. However, when we intentionally seek unity, sympathize with and love each other, and keep a tender heart and humble attitude, the desire to retaliate against someone is much less intense. Just as God was gracious to my family and brought them the blessing of healing and restoration, He will do the same for all of us as we surrender the outcome to Him. Be blessed, church.

When our children were young, we never had to teach them to defend themselves. They would argue loudly, hit, and sometimes bite to protect themselves from each other! What we did have to teach them was to be nice—to be kind no matter what. When our son was in elementary school, we signed him up to play soccer. It wasn’t very competitive but focused on teaching basic skills and teamwork. At that age, teamwork meant everyone running to wherever the ball was and kicking! During one game, my son ran off the field upset, and we told him he needed to go back and play. He replied, “Mom, they are all kicking, and it’s not very nice.” He had gotten the message but missed the context. Needless to say, soccer was not his thing.

Peter is putting into words what the church already knows is right. The constant threat of persecution had their emotions overloaded, and no doubt the flesh of every believer was battling for revenge. Nero, the emperor, seemed unstoppable as he made sport of persecuting and killing them. Given these conditions, it’s easy to understand how the church could get bogged down in misunderstandings and arguments. The Scripture is clear, though: they are not to repay evil for evil or insult for insult. Rather, they are to bless, as God has commanded them to do, and He will give them His blessing.

Blessing someone is God’s command. We should not consider whether we want to, or even if they deserve it. We talked about this very idea in my small group last week. The author Lisa Harper says, “Obedience is the fruit of gratitude.” We need to ask the Holy Spirit to tenderize our hearts so that obeying Him to bless others becomes the only option we consider. The benefit to us is receiving God’s blessing for ourselves. It truly is a win-win situation.

If you take just a few minutes to check the news, you will realize there is conflict everywhere. Story after story will pop up about wars in Israel and Ukraine, political upheaval not just in the United States but across the globe, and even disagreements on how best to handle hurricane relief efforts. While less important, let’s not forget the officiating disputes from every major sporting event that make the headlines! It can all be overwhelming and raise our anxiety levels if we spend too much time focusing on it.

As we continue in our passage this week, remember that Peter is trying to help the church stay united and focused in a very uncertain time. Today’s section, “be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude,” appeals to what should already be part of their lives. Several commentaries describe “tenderhearted” as “pitiful, ready to show mercy.” The assumption is that if we are ready to show mercy and keep a humble attitude, we are already merciful and humble. Peter goes on to say, “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.”

Not sure about you, but mercy and humility are not usually how I find myself entering a disagreement. Too often, I have a mental list of counterpunches ready to justify my argument. Pride can take over quickly, and small differences become mountains that take longer to reconcile. When this happens, I know that I am trusting myself and not God. The good news is that, as a Christian, I also know I can ask God for help in prayer, through His Word, and through other believers who know my heart. More recently, while praying through a tough conversation, God led me to a new worship song called Shalom by Bridge Worship. Shalom is the Jewish word for peace, and this song reminded me that God not only wants us to live in peace but also to be at peace.

My prayer for us today is that we lean into the power of the Holy Spirit within us to be merciful and humble, living at peace with one another.

Peter’s second and third instructions are to sympathize with each other and to love each other as brothers and sisters. In the beginning, he addresses his letter to the chosen ones, living as exiles and foreigners in the land. It’s important to remember that this audience is made up of people who do not necessarily know each other or even have similar lifestyles. They are Jewish and Gentile believers, living together as outsiders, both equally fearful of what each day will bring.

A few years ago, I went on a mission trip to Haiti. The country was still recovering from a massive earthquake that had displaced many families. My role on this trip was to bring a message to the ladies in the church. I struggled with what I could possibly say to give hope to those living in this third-world country. Our missions director reminded me that these women—wives and mothers—wanted the same things I did. They wanted their families to know Jesus and to be safe. They wanted their husbands to be godly and their children to have a good education. Sadly, many of them needed and wanted the basics—food, clothing, and shelter. I quickly realized that although we had very different outward circumstances, our hearts were aligned by our love for God.

The modern church is no different from the early church. We all come together with different backgrounds, education, socio-economic statuses, and political views. All that diversity can cause friction and make it hard to remember that we are more alike than not. So how do we navigate the tension of our differences? Being sympathetic and loving each other as brothers and sisters is key.

Scripture teaches us that love is patient and kind. It is not envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, self-seeking, or irritable. It keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:4-5). My prayer for all of us today is that we remember what love is and choose to obey the greatest commandment: to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Last week, our passage found Peter giving specific instructions to husbands and wives. This week, in 1 Peter 3:8-11, he returns to addressing the whole church. As we begin this week’s devotions, keep in mind what is currently happening to the church. Whether this letter was written just before or after Rome was burned is unclear. What is clear, though, is that animosity and hatred toward Christians are intensifying. They are literally living in fear for their lives, and many would suffer greatly for their beliefs.

Peter begins by encouraging them to live and make choices that could turn the hearts of their enemies to Jesus as their Savior. He says this will require them to be of one mind, to sympathize with each other, to love one another as brothers and sisters, to be tenderhearted, and to keep a humble attitude. Easy enough, right? But imagine if you were part of the early church, living in constant fear for your life. How would you act? Would the daily stress allow you to be kind and loving? Would concern for your family and friends allow you to be tender and humble?

For today, let’s focus on the charge “to be of one mind.” Some Bible translations say “like-minded” or “harmonious.” This does not mean that everyone agrees on everything, all the time. Rather, as author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin says, “It is agreeing on the spine issues, the essentials of our faith.” For instance, this would include what we believe about the Bible, salvation, or the Trinity. Wilkin adds, “When we have division, it is often rooted more in our lack of humility in our thinking than in actually feeling stronger about a particular point of division.”

I believe Peter is encouraging all of us, as the church, to keep the main thing the main thing. Living in unity with our brothers and sisters will draw the lost to Christ—and that is our main calling as the church.