Unlearning

In the process of facing our fears, there are areas of our lives we need to unlearn some responses and perspective. As Pastor Kurt preached Sunday, half of learning is learning and the other half of learning is unlearning. We often learn things about life that are off balance, based on pain or fear, or steeped in tradition. We need to unlearn those things and allow the Word of God to renew our minds to the proper perspective.

We have many conditioned responses. Peter is the ultimate example of this as Pastor taught us. As Jesus foretold, Peter denied he knew Jesus three times before the rooster crowed the night Jesus was arrested. The account in Luke gives us a chilling detail the other gospels leave out. When Peter denied Jesus for the third time, even cursing as he denied Him, Luke records that Jesus looked hard at Peter. Peter then ran away weeping bitterly. This Jesus that Peter had just cut the ear of the soldier off to protect, he was now denying out of fear. He wasn't willing to face the fear of rejection in that moment.

Can you imagine the conditioned response that Peter now developed? Every time he heard a rooster crow, his heart would break, his stomach turn, as he recalled the moment Jesus had looked directly at him knowing he had just denied he ever knew him. The pain of failure caused that conditioned response each time.

Jesus, being the Restorer that He was and is, changed that conditioned response in Peter's life. After the resurrection, at the beginning of the day ( the time the rooster would crow), Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" When Peter would respond each time with "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Jesus would say "Feed my sheep". Jesus reinstated Peter to the ministry in those moments, forgiving him for denying him. He brought healing to his heart as He questioned Him three times about His love and calling him to preach the gospel to the world. When Peter would hear the rooster crow from now on, he would most likely respond with warmth and love for God as he recalled the moment Jesus restored him back to his place in the Kingdom.

What conditioned responses do you need God to change and restore? Perhaps every time an opportunity to step out and share your faith comes, you are conditioned to recoil remembering the first time you shared and someone ridiculed you. Perhaps a smell or a sound or a taste brings back memories of painful childhood experiences. Jesus wants to change and heal those responses. When the enemy wants to remind you of your failures, God wants to recondition that guilt into grace. He wants to recondition our fear with faith.

Whether there are areas you need to unlearn or areas you need God to recondition your responses, face your fears today! Don't let fear paralyze your life anymore. Chase that lion today and walk in faith!