Are You Willing?

Simon Peter was so confident in himself that when Jesus told him that he was going to have a major faith meltdown Peter told Jesus he was wrong. Imagine telling Jesus that He’s wrong!

Peter told him, “Lord, I am ready to go even to prison and to die with you!” -Luke 22:33

But we know what actually happened…

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” -Luke 22:34

At least Peter had an excuse when he failed. There was real pressure brewing around him. Things were not looking good for Jesus and His followers and you could feel it in the air. Most of us have no such excuse. I can’t help but notice the great divide between God and us- He calls us to be “faithful even unto death” and we can’t even deny ourselves TV and potato chips!

So what do we do with that? Do we stop trying? Do we just ignore the parts in the bible that call us to sacrifice and try to pretend they’re not there?

This is a tough thing if we’re being honest with ourselves. All I know is that the standard never changes. God’s Word refuses to let us off that easy. I suspect that God is going to keep pointing out things about me that I don’t want to admit- things that, like Peter, I’m totally blind to. God knows that I’m sometimes ignorantly, and many times willfully, blind.

He keeps showing me that cross! He keeps asking if I’m willing!

He knows me as well as He knew Peter.

Let’s not make any pretense here that because I wrote this song I’m some paragon of virtue. These are tough questions- the kind that Jesus asks us; the kind that we often boisterously make light of in our own self deception.