What Path Are You On?

A friend described to me how she had prayed not to do something, knew God was telling her not to do it, even asked for the Holy Spirit to help her not to do it—and then did it anyway. As she shared her story, memories flooded my mind. Times when I told myself I would not share some bit of “news” (also known as gossiping) or complain about my awful day the minute my husband walked in the door or walk past the person sitting alone in church again. And then I did it.

Titus 1:16 says:

“They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.” (ESV)

I don’t want this to be me. But sadly, there are many times when my thoughts, words, and deeds deny that I really know, believe, and love Jesus. How does my heart drift from devotion to denial?

I often think of Peter in these moments. How did his heart drift from devotion to denial, like mine? He knew Jesus personally, in the flesh.

What can we learn from Peter’s story?

Prideful Thinking

Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. (Mark 14:29-31 ESV)

Peter boasted that even if the others fell away, he would not deny Jesus. The wisdom of Solomon tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18 ESV). Peter’s mistake and mine begin with thinking that we are incapable of drifting into denial.

Humility provides a safeguard against this drift. The wisdom that fosters right-thinking leads to right choices. Proverbs 11:2 tells us, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (ESV).

Love of Comfort

And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. (Mark 14:54 ESV)

This verse gets me every time. Jesus, whom Peter really does love, has been arrested and wrongly accused, and is being ridiculed, mocked, and abused. And Peter is found warming himself by the fire. Concerned with his own comfort.

I have found myself consumed with my own comfort as well. I take my eyes off Jesus and focus on some area of personal discomfort, looking for a way to “warm myself.” I am unwilling to be uncomfortable for him. In the moment I forget who he is, what he has already done for me, and what he has promised to do.

This can look like reluctance to be generous. It might be avoiding the social discomfort of speaking up for Jesus or his church in regard to controversial issues. Or it could manifest in any situation where I have the opportunity to sacrifice some of my own comfort in order to love and serve others.

Fear of Man

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” (Mark 14:66-71 ESV)

Again, we find Peter warming himself by the fire. (Note to self: focusing on one’s own comfort seldom ends well.) A servant girl looks at Peter and says, “You were with the Nazarene.” And twice he denies it. To a servant girl, not a person of power or authority. But when we focus on ourselves, it is only natural to worry about what others think. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Prov. 29:25 ESV).

Repentance

A little while later, some other bystanders again asked Peter if he had been with Jesus. They recognized that he was a Galilean. Again, Peter swore he did not know Jesus.

And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept (Mark 14:72 ESV).

When we fail, we should weep. Honest repentance turns our hearts back to Christ. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Cor. 10:7 ESV). May we love him enough to remain faithful, and to weep when we don’t.

Loving Others

After his resurrection, Jesus lovingly restored Peter with these words:

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17 ESV)

Similarly, our path to faithfully following Christ, rather than denying him, is through humbly loving others without regard for our own comfort or what others may think of us. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3 ESV).

This is a challenging path, and I often stumble. In those moments, I find encouragement in Peter’s story. Although pride and comfort-seeking may sometimes lead to denial, repentance always leads to restoration. That’s the path I want to choose.

Ann Skalaski and her husband of thirty-three years live in Gainesville, FL. They have moved a dozen times, raising three children along the way. They have added a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and two precious grandsons to the mix. When she is not packing or unpacking, Ann enjoys serving as a mentor mom for MOPS International, joining Bible studies, meeting friends for coffee, taking long walks, and watching lots of football. Ann is passionate about using lessons from her journey to help other women navigate change in their own lives.

Photograph © Artem Kovalev, used with permission