A Disciple's Journeyنموونە

The Path to Failure

Weakness

One reason why Peter needed to be careful was because his flesh was weak. This isn’t unique to Peter. It’s true of all of us. When Jesus asked Peter to pray for just one hour, Peter was three times unable to keep his eyes open. We can hear the compassion in Christ’s words when he explains Peter’s predicament: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus did not doubt Peter’s willingness to pray for him. He knew that Peter’s love was sincere. But he also knew, in a way that Peter pridefully refused to see, just how weak our flesh is.

Something as simple as fatigue or hunger can significantly affect our ability to connect with God, to do the spiritual disciplines, and to fight sin. We need to recognize our limits and our weaknesses in order to keep from falling.