John 18:16
“But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.”
You know the story very well, the story of Peter denying the Saviour. You have heard how Peter declared that he was willing to follow Jesus to the grave just a few hours before he denied knowing the Saviour. You have heard how Peter warmed himself at the heathen’s fire and eventually came to the point where he denied the church, his faith and his God. This is truly a sad chapter in Peter’s life.
However, we often miss what led Peter to deny the church, his faith and his God. The verse above shows us the beginning of how this all happened when it says, “But Peter stood at the door without.” The other disciple walking with Peter didn’t stand at the door without, but he walked through the door and never denied the church, his faith or his God. That door is what separated Peter from the other disciple. That door was a door of hesitation. It was that moment of hesitation that led to the heathen’s fire. It was that moment of hesitation that led to denying the church, his faith and his God. If Peter had walked through the door instead of hesitating at the door, this chapter in his life would have never been written. It all started with his hesitation.
Hesitation is the door to temptation. Many Christians have spiritually died because they hesitated when they should have gone forward. If a person never hesitates, they will never have the opportunity to think about temptation. Temptation only needs a moment of hesitation to start working on the mind of the Christian. It is when a person hesitates to look at an immoral picture that opens the door of lust. It is when a person hesitates to witness to a lost person that opens the door to quench the Spirit. It is when a person hesitates to listen to the call of the Holy Spirit that leads them to rebellion and living their own life. It is when you hesitate that temptation has the opportunity to start working on your mind.
There is only one reason as to why you would hesitate and that reason is that you are concerned how something is going to affect you. Peter was concerned with what the crowd inside that door would do to him, and that is why he hesitated. Christian, the life of faith will never be accomplished if you always wonder how you are going to be affected. When your Christian life is determined by how you are going to be affected by every decision, your Christian life will be lived in the flesh and not by faith. Faith never wonders how it will be affected, it only steps out and obeys the LORD’s command. You will never have victory over hesitation as long as you are concerned with how you will be affected at every door.
What is the key to avoiding hesitation? The key is to stay close to the Saviour. The Book of Matthew tells us that Peter followed “afar off.” If he had stayed close to the Saviour, he wouldn’t have had a chance to hesitate when walking through the door. Friend, the only way you will avoid hesitating at the door of temptation is to stay close to the Saviour. You must walk with the Saviour daily in His Word and prayer. You must yield yourself to the Holy Spirit every minute of the day if you are going to avoid hesitating. Don’t let hesitation be a part of your life. Stay close to the Saviour and you will avoid the door of hesitation.