It’s Mother’s Day.

What do you feel like you are called to do with your life? This kind of question is fairly common in the world today, but it’s a prominent question in the church…and rightfully so. 

When we talk about calling as Christians, there are at least two things we should be referring to. ‍

We are called to know, love, and follow Jesus.

We are called by Jesus to do something with our lives.‍

And if I can be honest, I see way more people obsessed with this second one than with the first. And God knows I’ve been guilty of that myself, more times than I care to admit. It’s my hope that we will care deeply about both of these callings. I’ll even take it a step further. ‍

If you don’t orient your entire life around Jesus, there’s going to be something lacking when it comes to your vocational life.‍

We began talking last week about how shame disrupts our vocations. And this week, I want to teach us about what shame has to do with us fulfilling our calling. I’m calling this message, “Removing Shame, Renewing Calling”. And I want to use the life of Peter to demonstrate how shame moves in on our calling and what must be done for us to renew what we’ve been called to do.

When Jesus first shows up in Peter’s life, he says, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” And Peter began to follow immediately.

In this moment, Jesus changes Peter’s life and his vocation. When you put your faith in Jesus, you don’t need to assume He’ll change your vocation. But He might and if He does, step into the new thing He has for you. But He’ll definitely change your motivation for why you do what you do.

Peter becomes close with Jesus. He’s the disciple who typically speaks first and is willing to go for it, whether it means walking on water or defending Jesus. One day Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus tells Peter that he’s going to use Peter to build the church.

Peter is clear on who Jesus is and Jesus is clear about what He has in store for Peter’s calling. As time goes on, Jesus begins to talk about the fact that he’s going to die. Peter would have none of it.  Peter, like so many of us, didn’t want pain and loss to be part of his calling. And one day Jesus predicts that all of his disciples would fall away. And of course, you know who had to speak up and refute that claim:

Peter says, “If everyone else falls away, I never will…even if I have to die.” Jesus tells Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”‍

Luke 22:54-62 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.‍

Here comes so much deep shame for Peter. He wasn’t who he thought he was. He’s thinking he’s also not who Jesus thought he was. He couldn’t keep his commitment. He walked away when Jesus needed him most. I mean who was he to think that Jesus was actually going to use his life to do something great?

Jesus dies and the resurrection happens. But Peter is still drowning in his shame. And shame makes us do all kinds of things.‍

John 21:3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.”‍

Wait a minute! I thought Peter left his nets to follow Jesus. I thought fishing was his past vocation. I thought he was supposed to do something else for Jesus. 

He assumes that Jesus, even though he’s alive, is done with Peter. Isn’t that how it works? When we blow it big time, it’s likely we’ll just be discarded. Jesus helps them catch a ton of fish. When Peter realizes it’s him, he jumps into the water. Jesus asks them to have breakfast. But notice this:‍

John 21:9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.‍

Remember the last time Peter was beside a fire? Yep, it was when he was admitting that he didn’t know Jesus.‍

John 21:15-19 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” 

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”‍

Peter and Judas both had been called to follow Jesus. They both walked away when Jesus needed them most. One allowed his shame to cause him to end his life. The other allowed Jesus to restore him and recall him back into his original vocation.

Jesus knows that Peter is still carrying shame. And he knows he must confront this in Peter if shame is ever going to move out of Peter’s life. Because if it doesn’t, Peter will have to forfeit his God-given vocation.‍

If shame doesn’t move out of your life, you will have to forfeit your God-given vocation.

Jesus wants to remove your shame and He wants to reaffirm His calling on your life.‍

Have you ever blown it? Have you ever thought you lost the right to follow Jesus and that you had to forfeit His mission for your life?

There’s a temptation to run and hide or hope that Jesus will just sweep it under the rug. We need to be honest in his presence. Let him ask us the hard questions. Let him cover our sin and our shame. And then let him recall us into what He wants us to do with our lives. And remember, the first calling is, “Follow me!”

Jesus is asking us, “Do you love me?” And He’s saying, “Get back in the game with your calling. I have a plan and a purpose for you. It’s not over.”‍

“Even of his sins the Enemy does not want him to think too much: once they are repented, the sooner the man turns his attention outward, the better the Enemy is pleased.” C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters‍

Shame doesn’t move out until repentance takes place.‍

Let me give you a few other ways shame impacts our vocations.

‍Shame impacts how long we stay in our jobs.‍

Shame makes many people stay longer when they should have moved on. Shame makes many people leave when they should stay longer. Because you know that if you stay at any job for a while, eventually the real you is going to show through. At some point you’ll make a mistake and stay long enough – it’ll be a major mistake. And the thought of that exposure has caused many of us to move on way too quickly.‍

Shame can cause us to overwork.‍

Some of us are addicted to work because we need somewhere to put all of our energy so that we don’t have to sit in our shame. Others of us overwork to try and cover our shame. We are literally trying to work ourselves out of shame. God’s idea of Sabbath seems like the worst idea ever for some of us. And yet, God seems to make it a matter of life and death.‍

Shame depletes what we actually need to fulfill our God-given calling.‍

Creativity and Energy‍

Shame can keep us from being honest about our work.‍

Pretend. Don’t show weaknesses.‍

Shame robs us of growth.‍

You can’t grow when you’re in a constant state of asking, “What’s my grade right now? How am I doing? How’s my performance?”‍

Shame keeps us from sharing our faith.‍

This happened to Peter and this action made him full of shame. Interesting.

Shame has showed up quite often in my own vocational life. It shows up when I have to share results that aren’t as good as last year’s numbers. It shows up when people leave our church and I assume it was because of me. Vocational shame has caused me to feel the pressure to try and be perfect, as well as protect myself from any person or activity that could cause greater shame in my life.‍

"Shame can derail an organization or a company, but more importantly, it thwarts us in answering our calling.” Elizabeth Moyer, Overcoming Shame in the Workplace‍

So what do we do? We ask Jesus to come find us in our shame, just like He did with Peter. We enter into repentance, knowing it’s the only way shame moves out.‍

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.