“彼得想起耶稣所说的话，鸡叫以先，你要三次不认我。他就出去痛哭。” - 太 26:75

有时，我们后悔的事情不是我们已经做的事情，而是我们没有做的事情。比如，在一次谈话或会议之后，我会回想一下，希望自己能以不同的方式说话或做一些事情，以获得更好的结果。我们都能想到我们希望自己会做却没去做的事。

在耶稣被捕的那个晚上，彼得三次否认他认识耶稣。尽管耶稣原谅了他，但如果彼得经常回想起那个夜晚，希望他能站起来说出真相，我也不会感到惊讶。毫无疑问，惧怕在彼得的否认中起了很大作用。害怕被发现。害怕与一个被指控的人有关系。害怕被审判，害怕自己被杀。但我在想，多年以后，当彼得回忆起这些事件时，是否也会有某种惧怕临到他——因后悔该做的事情没有做而来的惧怕。

惧怕有时也会和我们玩同样的游戏。也许我们害怕后果，或者害怕被评判，或者害怕说出真相之后的后果。后来，当我们回想起那些时候，也许我们又害怕了——害怕我们的性格不够好，或者害怕我们会因为没有做对而被论断。

但我们必须把这些失败交给神。神已经赦免了我们，祂完美的爱会驱走惧怕（约一4：18）。

祷告

主啊，请帮助我们在所有情况下做正确的事——并拿走我们的惧怕。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

马太福音 26:69-75

69彼得在外面院子里坐着，有一个使女前来，说：“你素来也是同那加利利人耶稣一伙的。”
70彼得在众人面前却不承认，说：“我不知道你说的是什么。”
71既出去，到了门口，又有一个使女看见他，就对那里的人说：“这个人也是同拿撒勒人耶稣一伙的。”
72彼得又不承认，并且起誓说：“我不认得那个人！”
73过了不多的时候，旁边站着的人前来，对彼得说：“你真是他们一党的，你的口音把你露出来了。”
74彼得就发咒起誓地说：“我不认得那个人！”立时，鸡就叫了。
75彼得想起耶稣所说的话：“鸡叫以先，你要三次不认我。”他就出去痛哭。

More Regrets

"Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: 'Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly." - Matthew 26:75

Sometimes the things we regret are not things that we have done but things that we haven’t done. For example, after a conversation or a meeting, I’ll think back and wish I had said or done something differently—for a better result. We can all think of things that we wish we would have done, but didn’t.

On the night that Jesus was arrested, Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus. And even though Jesus forgave him, I wouldn’t be surprised if Peter recalled that night often, wishing he had stood up and told the truth. No doubt, fear played a big role in Peter’s denials. Fear of being found out. Fear of being associated with an accused man. Fear of being tried and killed himself. But then I wonder if a form of fear might also have visited Peter years later as he recalled those events—fear tied to regret for not doing what he should have done.

Fear plays the same games with us at times. Perhaps we are afraid of consequences, or of being judged, or of what it might cost to speak the truth. And later, as we think back to those times, maybe we are afraid again—afraid that our character wasn’t good enough or that we will be judged for not doing right.

But we have to give those failings to God. God has forgiven us, and his perfect love drives fear away (1 John 4:18).

Prayer

Lord, help us to do what’s right in all situations—and please take away our fears. In Jesus’ name, Amen.