⁷⁵ and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75 CSB)

There are moments in our life when the bitter recognition of exactly what we have done comes crashing in. For Peter it was when he heard the rooster crowing and remembered Christ words after denying he even knew Him. Peter had said, just the night before, that he would never leave Christ even if it meant his death.

We have probably made bold statements in our lives as well, and then fallen far short. The human condition is one often marked by shortcomings.

But Peter was given a second chance by Christ and went on to be the founder of Christ church on earth. We too are given many chances to repent when we fall short of the life we were meant to live.

While the bitter recognition of our shortcomings should be a pointer back to the right path, it should not be a crippling negation of any movement forward. Depression and anxiety are rampant in our world and it comes at a serious cost to many.

But Christ death on the cross promises forgiveness. We do not have to wallow in anxiety and despair, we need only reach out to Christ in repentance. The world may be slow to forgive, but Christ is not.