Peter: Coward Turned Crusader

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

I recently started a series of devotions entitled: “A Rainbow of Emotions” with each color of the rainbow representing a different emotion. The last devotion featured the color green and was about jealousy or envy. This devotion will feature the color yellow and will be about fear and being a coward.

Peter, before he became one of Jesus’ disciples was a fisherman by trade. He was one of the first men that Jesus chose. Peter brought with him a lot of emotional baggage: pride, over zealousness, and fear which Peter himself probably didn’t even realize was in him. That is, until his life was at stake. Peter was over zealous
in the fact that, when the disciples were in a boat without Jesus and suddenly saw Him walking towards them, across the water…on the water, it was Peter who gave The Son of God a challenge: “Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you.” Jesus responded: “Come!” Then Peter got out of the boat, and started walking across the water towards Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid, and began to sink. Peter cried out: ‘Lord, save me!’” -Matthew 14:28-30 (NIV)

Peter’s pride was displayed the night before Jesus was to be crucified when he told Jesus: “Everyone else may fall away and disown you but not me”! His fear became obvious when the opportunity arose to prove his claim he had made earlier, and he didn’t take it. When confronted and asked three times if he was one of Jesus’ disciples, he denied it even going so far as to utter a curse word in the process. Instead of proving he meant what he said, he succeeded in proving himself to be nothing more than a coward (yellow).

Even though Peter acted like a coward in denying Christ, it did workout for good. Think about it: If Peter had admitted that he was one of Jesus’ disciples, he would have been crucified right along with Jesus. But he didn’t and many people have come to Christ and are coming to Christ because of that one cowardly act. Romans 8:28 says: “All things work for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Peter did love God and he was called. In fact, he actually became one of the greatest Apostles the world has ever had.

The same can prove true for you. If you love God and have asked His Son Jesus into your heart to be the Lord of your life and to be your very best friend, then you have been called as well. That doesn’t mean that you’ll never be afraid. But it does mean that when you are afraid, you won’t be a coward and run away from doing what’s right.