BY ROBERT MILLER
OPINION —
There are moments in life we wish we could take back. A conversation that went too far, a decision we knew better than to make, a moment when we didn’t stand when we should have or spoke when we shouldn’t have.
And sometimes, it’s not just one moment. It’s a pattern, a season; A series of choices that leave us looking back and wondering, “What was I thinking?” But what lingers even longer than the mistake is the feeling that follows.
Regret.
Guilt.
Shame.
And perhaps the most dangerous thought of all “There’s no coming back from this.”
That’s where Peter found himself. Just days earlier, he had boldly declared his loyalty to Jesus. He was confident, certain and unshakable. And then, in a moment of pressure, he denied even knowing Him. Not once. Not twice. But three times. By the time the rooster crowed, Peter wasn’t just aware of his failure — he was overwhelmed by it. In fact, the Gospel tells us he went out and began to weep bitterly.
It’s hard to imagine the weight he carried with him in the days following his denial. Hard, but not impossible. Because at some point or another, we’ve all failed to keep the promises we have made to our Savior. So, in that moment of recognizing our failure what do we often do? We do the exact same thing Peter did. We go back to what we know. In Peter’s case, he said “I’m going fishing.”
It wasn’t just about fishing. It was about retreat; about returning to something familiar when everything else felt broken. And maybe you’ve been there too. Maybe you’re there right now. When failure makes you feel like you’ve lost your place, your purpose, even your identity. But the story doesn’t end there.
In John 21, we find Peter back on the water. After a long night of catching nothing, a voice calls out from the shore. A simple instruction is given. The nets are cast again — and suddenly, everything changes. It’s Jesus. And Peter doesn’t hesitate. He jumps into the water and makes his way to Him. That detail matters. Because failure often makes us want to run away from Jesus. Peter ran toward Him.
On the shore, Jesus has prepared a fire and a meal. It’s a quiet moment, but not an accidental one. In fact, there’s a detail that might be easy to miss. The only other time Scripture mentions a charcoal fire… is the night Peter denied Jesus. It’s as if Jesus has brought Peter back to the place of his failure — not to shame him, but to restore him.
Three times Jesus asks, “Do you love Me?” Three times Peter responds. And with each answer, Jesus gives him something he probably didn’t expect: Purpose. Looking to Peter, broken and defeated, Jesus speaks, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus doesn’t ignore Peter’s failure. But He also doesn’t let it define him. Instead, He meets him in it… restores him through it… and calls him forward beyond it.
And that’s the difference between Peter and Judas. Both failed. Both felt the weight of what they had done. Judas saw no way back; Peter ran to the One who could restore him.
The difference wasn’t the failure. It was where they went afterward. And that same choice still stands today. Failure does not have to be the end of your story. In Christ, it can be the place where restoration begins. So maybe the question isn’t: “Have you failed?” We all have. The question is: Where will you go now?
Because the same Jesus who stood on that shore, is still calling today.
