Peter's Problem is our Problem | When God's Plans Don't Match My Plans
As a Christian, my deepest passion is to help people experience the love of Jesus Christ. That should be true for every follower of Jesus. We want people to know and feel the truth of John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus himself declared in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He has commanded us in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations.
So if God loves the world this much, if Jesus is actively drawing people to Himself, and if we’re called to share that good news—why do so many people struggle to follow Him? Why do some walk away? Why do others never come at all?
And why is it that more than 80% of people in our communities still won’t step foot inside a church on any given Sunday?
The short answer is found in James 1:14: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”
It’s not always some vile, wicked temptation that pulls us away. Often, it’s something far more subtle—just a slightly different plan for our lives. Satan doesn’t always need to offer something evil. Sometimes he simply offers our own desires dressed up as something better.
This is exactly what we see in the life of the Apostle Peter. Peter’s problem is our problem.
The Moment Peter Got It Right
In Matthew 16, Jesus takes His disciples to Caesarea Philippi—a place filled with idolatry and pagan temples. He asks them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They give the common answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
Then Jesus asks the personal question: “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter boldly replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus affirms him: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” He then declares, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
Can you imagine how Peter felt in that moment? He was on top of the world. He had given the right answer—and it came from God Himself.
When Jesus’ Plan Didn’t Match Peter’s
Immediately after this high moment, Jesus begins to explain what was really ahead: He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and rise again on the third day.
This was not the plan Peter had signed up for.
Peter had envisioned a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s glory. He thought he and the other disciples were part of an inside team that was about to change history through power and revolution.
So Peter does something remarkable—he takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him: “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
Jesus’ response is sharp: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Peter wasn’t being deliberately evil. He simply preferred his own plan over God’s plan.
The Heart of the Struggle
This is the core issue for all of us. We all have plans, dreams, and desires for how our lives should go. When Jesus’ plan begins to look different—especially when it involves suffering, surrender, or a path we didn’t choose—we often get sideways.
Jesus makes it crystal clear in the very next verses:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
The only way to truly follow Jesus is to surrender our own agenda and embrace His.
Peter’s Failures and God’s Faithfulness
Peter continued to struggle with this. Even on the night of Jesus’ arrest, he was still trying to fight the battle his way—cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Later that same night, he denied knowing Jesus three times while warming himself by the enemy’s fire.
But Jesus never gave up on Peter.
After the resurrection, Jesus sought Peter out specifically. He restored him by the Sea of Galilee with a charcoal fire (a beautiful contrast to the fire where Peter had denied Him). Three times Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”—matching the three denials.
And each time, Jesus recommissioned him: “Feed my sheep.”
Later, Jesus told Peter that one day he would stretch out his hands and be led where he did not want to go—foretelling the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.
Peter’s story shows us that even when we fail, even when we cling to our own plans, Jesus is patient, restoring, and still calling us to follow Him.
The Call Today
Peter’s problem really is our problem. We are constantly tempted to choose our plan over God’s plan. We want Jesus to bless our dreams, our timeline, and our version of success.
But Jesus is still saying the same thing to us today:
“Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Me.”
Will you surrender your plan? Will you say, like Jesus in the Garden, “Not my will, but Yours be done”?
The beauty of the gospel is that when we finally release our grip on our own way and fully follow His, we don’t lose our life—we finally find the life we were always meant to live.