“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

I consider Dr. Jordan B. Peterson to be one of the greatest and most courageous scholars and philosophers of our time. I’ve listened to the man for many years, and I can say that he has been a wonderful mentor and a source of inspiration in my own life. His insight into the Biblical corpus — while contrary to my own on a few points of doctrine — is deep and meaningful and full of wisdom.

Just as we open up the pages of the Holy Bible and look to the ancient fathers for wisdom and guidance, so too should we look to these modern warriors of truth who valiantly stand against the enemy’s onslaught of wickedness and lies.

I was saddened to hear that Dr. Peterson’s father (Walter Peterson) passed away last month. Throughout his many years of teaching, Jordan Peterson often spoke of his father, emphasizing the pivotal role his father played in his life, describing him as a major influence on his own development as a thinker, educator, and public intellectual. He has frequently credited his father for teaching him the importance of resilience and confronting life’s challenges with courage.

Just as Jordan Peterson has been a major inspiration in my own life, so too was his father an inspiration in his.

Dr. Peterson was recently interviewed on the show Piers Morgan Uncensored. Piers caught Jordan somewhat off guard by asking him about his father’s passing, and then quoted from the obituary that Jordan himself wrote for his father.

In the obituary, Dr. Peterson reminisced about his father’s character, his love, his integrity, and his honesty. Jordan also wrote about his father’s passion for collecting single-shot rifles. As a proficient hunter and trapper, Walter Peterson was an avid collector of single-shot rifles, owning over 300 of them.

This particular detail of Walter’s life caught my attention.

Piers Morgan paraphrased from the obituary, saying, “He [Walter] loved their simplicity, their design and craftsmanship. More importantly, he loved the precision of these rifles. He liked the fact that a single-shot rifle only allowed for one bullet while hunting.”

Jordan Peterson then expressed that for many years his father’s collection of single-shot rifles had confused him. Why so many rifles? And why all of them being single-shot rifles? If someone is a hunter and a collector of rifles, why not collect rifles that allow for more than one shot?

It wasn’t until much later in Jordan’s life that he realized that his father’s love for single-shot rifles was a deep expression of the man’s character — of the care and attention that he put into every aspect of his life.

As Jordan explained to Piers, “You pointed to that detail with regards to these rifles. My father had 300 rifles. This was a real obsession, and he was a very good shot. He was a provincial level shot. And it took me thirty years to figure out why he collected those guns. I don’t think he knew. And I told him five years ago; I said, ‘Dad, I figured out why you’re so obsessed with rifles.’ I said, ‘It’s because you want to hit the target dead center with one shot.’ It’s like a symbolic representation of your aim in life.”

That profound insight from Dr. Peterson into the life and character of his father really resonated with me, and it caused me to think of our life here on earth and our moral obligation and responsibility to fear God and keep His commandments (i.e. the Torah).

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
– Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The Hebrew root word for the Torah is יָרָה (yarah), which means “to throw, shoot, or direct.” The image is that of an archer or hunter taking careful aim at the target, letting loose his one arrow from his bow, and hitting the target dead center.

But what happens if the archer were to miss the target?

That’s literally the Hebrew understanding for what SIN is.

The Hebrew word for sin is חַטָּאָה (chatta’ah), and it comes from the root word חָטָא (chata), which means “to miss”—as in, to miss the target one is meant to be aiming for.

Fearing God and keeping His commandments “is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). That’s the target that we’re aiming for. That’s the bullseye we’re meant to hit.

As I thought of Walter Peterson’s collection of single-shot rifles, I pondered how the single-shot of those guns could be seen as a representation of our single life here on earth.

You don’t get a second one.
You only get this one.

You are here.
And the time is now.

Our Everlasting Father has placed a metaphorical rifle (your life) in your hands. He’s taken great care instructing you on how to shoot, how to aim, and what to aim at:

His Torah.
His Word.
His Will.

You take careful aim.
You gently squeeze the trigger.
And the gun fires! …

Do you hit the target?
Or do you miss?

Now, we as mortal men and women obviously all fall short of the glory of God. We all have sinned, in that we all have missed the target many times throughout our lives with the many poor decisions we’ve made. Such is the sad state of our fallen nature.

We give all praise to YeHoVaH God for sending His Beloved Son Yeshua — he who hit the target dead center every single time; he who committed no sin, was perfectly obedient to his Father’s commandments all his life, and who willingly took upon himself the curse of our failings. HalleluYAH!

For the purpose of this article and its message, don’t think that your rifle’s single-shot is your one and only chance to hit the target with any single decision you’ve made. Focus instead on that single-shot from the rifle being a representation of THE SUM OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

Remember the wise words of Jordan Peterson: “It’s like a symbolic representation of your aim in life.”

It’s a representation of every decision you’ve made. It’s your whole life’s story.

By the time the gun is ultimately fired (which happens at the moment of your death) the question will be: Has your life’s story been of you taking careful aim at the target? Have you been listening to the perfect instructions of our Holy Father?

Have you been daily practicing obedience — thus ensuring that you’ll hit the target? Or have you been daily practicing sin — thus ensuring that you’ll miss the target?

Because when all is said and done…

You only get ONE LIFE.
You only get ONE SHOT.

Be sure to aim well.