Never say, 'I would never...'

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 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.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 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.

Have you ever said, “I would never do _________.” We know we’re not perfect. But there are certain things we cannot imagine we would ever do. Jesus told his disciples they would all desert him, and they all said it would never happen. Peter protested the loudest, and doubled down on his boast, saying, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” Hours later—when questioned by others—he did exactly what he swore he would NEVER do.

Peter was not insincere when he made his foolish boast, he was ignorant of his capacity for evil. Jesus told the disciples in the garden to stay awake and pray with him. They fell asleep and heard Jesus tell them, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” They did not plan to fall asleep, but they underestimated the power of their flesh. Peter did not intend to deny Jesus, but he did. There is nothing we are not capable of in the right circumstances. If you still hold onto the ‘I would never’ mantra it’s because you don’t know how weak you truly are.

The is good news is Jesus already knows what we are capable of. He told Peter he was going to fail and prayed for his restoration. Jesus knows we are weak. That’s why he is continually at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Tell Jesus you are weak and ask him to strengthen you.