COWARDLY COMPROMISE
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the Man,” he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the Man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
Matthew 26:69-74 (NLT)
On Sundays it’s easy to be a Christian while surrounded by people praising and treasuring the name of Jesus. The rest of the week can be more challenging. When the followers of Jesus have left, you find yourself surrounded by people disinterested in and even hostile to Jesus. The more I take a step of faith and speak about Jesus, the easier it becomes to talk about Him. The opposite is also true. The more I remain silent and fail to talk about Jesus, the harder it becomes.
This is what happened with Peter in the passage above. I do not know the Man! Peter’s sin of denying his association with Jesus grew worse with each denial. First, he merely lied. Then he took an oath to the lie. Then he began to curse and swear. Small steps in either direction can create a huge difference in our life. We all bow to fear in certain moments. Peter was preaching to large crowds one second, then cowering in fear before a servant girl the next. The key is that Peter didn’t want this kind of cowardly compromise. Jesus had told Peter that he would be a rock, and through Peter, He would build His church (Matthew 16:18).
Be encouraged that God doesn’t recruit all-stars and the elite to build His church. God takes normal ordinary people, who, like Peter, give in to fear and cowardly compromise, but He, by His Spirit, grows them into something mighty. Like Peter, you might bow to fear more than you like, but you don’t have to stay that way. No one hungry for God has ever been left unfilled. Peter wanted to change, and through the Spirit, God changed him. Don’t see yourself through your human eyes. See yourself as God sees you. Peter saw a coward, but God saw a rock. God looks at you and knows you through His Spirit. You are a child of the King. You are called to be bold for Him. You are called to be light in the darkness. Let your light shine for Him today!
APPLICATION:
Look for small opportunities to speak about Jesus. The more you say, the bolder you’ll become. Small steps make a huge difference!
PRAYER:
Ask God to make you bold. Ask Him to give you an eternal perspective about the brevity of life. Ask Him to help you see the Gospel as Good News, not a burden.