公元155年，初代教父坡旅甲因為拒絕否認耶穌基督，被判處火刑。在行刑之前，他說：「我作基督的僕人86年了，祂從來沒有虧待過我。如今我怎能褻瀆這位拯救我的君王呢？」當我們因信靠耶穌這位君王而面臨嚴峻的考驗時，坡旅甲的這番話一定能激勵我們！

在耶穌即將受難之前，彼得大膽宣誓效忠：「我願意為祢捨命！」（約翰福音13章37節）但耶穌比彼得更瞭解彼得自己，祂說：「我實實在在地告訴你，雞叫以先，你要三次不認我」（38節）。雖然，彼得曾經三次不認耶穌，但在耶穌復活之後，彼得卻勇敢地服事耶穌，甚至最終以殉道來榮耀耶穌（21章16-19節）。

你是坡旅甲還是彼得？坦白說，我們大多數人都比較像喪失勇氣的彼得一樣，常常無法以基督徒的身分，勇敢地說話或行動。曾有很多時候，可能是在教室、會議室或休息室，我們都不敢表明自己相信基督，但這些失敗無需成為我們永久的標記。當我們失敗的時候，可以透過禱告重新拾起勇氣，轉向那位為我們受死、復活的耶穌。祂會幫助我們忠心地信靠祂，並在艱難的環境中勇敢地為祂而活。

In ad 155, the early church father Polycarp was threatened with death by fire for his faith in Christ. He replied, “For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?” Polycarp’s response can be an inspiration for us when we face extreme trial because of our faith in Jesus, our King.

Just hours before Christ’s death, Peter boldly pledged His allegiance to Him: “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). Jesus, who knew Peter better than Peter knew himself, replied, “Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (v. 38). However, after Jesus’ resurrection, the same one who’d denied Him began to serve Him courageously and would eventually glorify Him through his own death (see 21:16-19).

Are you a Polycarp or a Peter? Most of us, if we’re honest, are more of a Peter with a “courage outage”—a failure to speak or act honorably as a believer in Jesus. Such occasions—whether in a classroom, boardroom, or breakroom—needn’t indelibly define us. When those failures occur, we must prayerfully dust ourselves off and turn to Jesus, the one who died for us and lives for us. He’ll help us be faithful to Him and courageously live for Him daily in difficult places.