This was not all. Peter was very afraid of suffering. One of the reasons that a man is not stable is because he is afraid of suffering. Many people are bold before they encounter the cross or before they experience trials or tribulations. But when the day comes for them to give up their lives and everything, they shrink back. At other times they seem to love the Lord and to be willing to bear the cross. But when the critical moment comes, they cannot hold out, because they are afraid of suffering and because they love themselves. This is where Peter's problem lay. What Peter felt compelled to do in the courtyard was the same as what he had done in Caesarea Philippi in front of the Lord. His fear of suffering and self-love did not appear suddenly in the courtyard. When the Lord spoke to him face to face about the cross, he recoiled by saying, "God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!" He believed his words, and his statement revealed the kind of person he was. This was why he rebuked the Lord the way he did. He was afraid of loss and death. He did not want this to happen to the Lord. He was so hardheaded that he even took the Lord by the hand to rebuke Him. Brothers and sisters, only one kind of person is stable --those who will be faithful even unto death for the Lord. Satan can do nothing to those who do not love their own life. The weakest ones are those who love their own life. Once a man loves his own life, he will be stumbled as soon as something touches his life. This was what happened to Peter. He rebuked the Lord saying, "God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!" In other words, he was saying, "Lord, You can never go to the cross!" Later he tried various ways to escape the cross himself. He even resorted to cursing and swearing! A mind to suffer is a big thing. Later in his life, he spoke of having a mind to suffer. He knew that he was short in this matter, and he learned some good lessons. He began to arm himself with this mind to suffer. This attitude was unknown to him in the earlier part of his life. No one who is fearful of something is strong. We have to be brought on to the point where we can say, "Lord, I am happy and willing to bear Your cross. I am happy and willing to suffer any loss, to not seek after my own gain or my own pleasure." If a man stands on this ground, Satan will not be able to do anything to him. If you are not afraid of loss and pain, if you can be like Job, who said he would trust in God even if God were to kill him, or Madam Guyon, who said that she would kiss the whip that chastised her, your absoluteness will make you a strong man. If the cross cannot shake a person, nothing will shake him, for there is no greater requirement than the cross. If you can satisfy the greatest demand, you will have no trouble with lesser demands. If you cannot meet the demand of the cross, and instead shrink back from it, you will fail in the face of any test. You will be unsteady and unstable. You have to believe in the fact of the cross, and you have to enter the experience of the cross. You have to accept and submit to all God-given trials, tribulations, and pains. If you do, no trial or tribulation in this world will appear big. You are troubled because you do not know the cross. If you have never encountered a big test, you will be stumbled at a small one. But if you have passed through a big test, you will not be shaken by a small one. Peter was shaken because he was afraid of suffering and because he loved himself.

Another reason for Peter's unsteadiness was his desire to go along with the environment. He wanted to please those in the environment. He was afraid of men. We may not realize how much we are influenced by men's affections and displeasure. As soon as we try to please men and to avoid their displeasure, our way is no longer straight. We have to say this or that to meet others' expectations. We have too many ears to listen to what others have to say. Peter was afraid of the slave girl, and he was afraid of many other people. He was bound by his weaknesses. Brothers and sisters, are you trying to please men, or are you trying to please God? This question should be settled the first day you consecrate yourself to God's service. If you are here to please men, will you still experience persecution? Will you still experience trouble? If you are here to please men, the stumbling block of the cross will be annulled (Gal. 5:11). Brothers and sisters, if the problem of your fear of men is not resolved, you cannot run a straight course before the Lord. Those who have a fear of men change their course as soon as something affects them one way or another. They can never be stable and strong before the Lord.