Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God

by Jamie Winship

Is it okay to ask God if you’re going to win? What do you think? Are you too shy to ask? I don’t know if winning is important to you or what race you are running. I do know I want to win my race. I’m not saying winning means I achieve a certain thing. I just want to win. Do you think Jesus came to earth thinking, I’m not sure if I want to win; that might be prideful. He came to win. Peter didn’t understand Jesus’s way of winning; that’s why he wanted Jesus to avoid the cross.37 Perhaps Peter was thinking something like this: “Jesus, I know you’re committed to God and all, but I think the cross is a bad idea. I’m against the idea of our leader being killed. I’m not a big fan of persecution when persecution can be avoided by taking safer courses of action. Can’t you just take out the bad guys and make our team win?” Does Jesus say, “Wow, I love your heart, Peter. I love your compassion for suffering people”? No. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get out of my way, you Satan! You are a hindrance to me, because your thoughts are only filled with man’s [fearful] viewpoints and not with the ways of God” (Matt. 16:23 TPT). Peter wanted Jesus to win by his own cultural standards. Jesus wanted to win according to God’s good, perfect, and pleasing will. I don’t think we realize how often we say things without thinking or considering the ways of the kingdom of God. The truth Jesus is actually conveying is, “Peter if I don’t die, you die. If I don’t die, you all go to hell.”