What Are You Afraid Of? - April 2
When it came to his dedication to Jesus, Simon Peter was absolutely oozing with confidence! He was sure that he had Jesus' back, no matter what came His way! He was Jesus' right-hand man!
But that was then... That was back when Peter was in the comfort of the room where he was eating with Jesus' and the other disciples on Maundy Thursday evening. That was back before the betrayal, the soldiers, the arrest and trial... and this was now! Now Peter was on his own. The other disciples had all scattered like rats, and Peter was on his own, watching Jesus get abused from a distance.
And in that moment of solitude, in today's reading from John 18-19 (ESV) we see Peter fail, not once... not twice.. but three times to testify to his faith and his relationship with Jesus, for fear of what would happen to him if he did! Peter was the one that Jesus called "a rock"! Peter wasn't supposed to be afraid to stand-up for Jesus! But he was! Peter crumbled like a wet napkin when he came under pressure away from his support group!
Peter was afraid because he assumed that bad things would happen to him if he stood up for Jesus. He assumed that things would go badly for him if he did... and in doing so he really didn't exhibit much trust in God. He expected the worst!
So how are we doing when it comes to standing-up for Jesus? Are we ashamed to speak-up about our relationship with Him and what He's done for us? Do we assume that things will go badly for us if we do? What's the worst thing that could happen to us though if we did? I'll tell you this... whatever kinds of ridicule, scorn, or mockery we could possibly experience for standing-up for Jesus, it's not nearly as bad as what will happen to those people who never hear about Him! Do we love them enough to share?
Let's be bold for Jesus. Don't let fear rule your life. You only live once, after all, and you have no idea how long you have to live. Take the opportunities to stand-up for Jesus that He puts right in front of you. You, and the people you share with, will be so blessed because of it!