Self-confidence is the product of ignorance. Someone had said, "No one is as limited as he is bereft of the whole truth." This is the reason for many defeats and failures in life.

In the text, Jesus had given His disciples the new commandment and enjoined them to love one another as He had loved them, Peter interjected and wanted to know where Jesus was going and why he could not follow Him immediately. In his pride, Peter boasted, "I will lay down my life for thy sake." The Lord picked Peter up and turned his statement into a question "wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?" It was obvious Jesus knew that Peter was speaking in the flesh and did not know the weight of his comment, neither did he have the spiritual grace to go through the process of laying down his life for the Master at the time.

How we often exaggerate our strength and boast of virtues we do not fully possess! The Lord would like us to learn of Him who meekly besought the heavenly Father for grace to drink of the cup and be baptised with the baptism reserved for Him. Jesus spoke to Peter pointedly that he was not ready yet to fulfill the promise and needed to be broken and remoulded to accomplish that task.

We need to approach the Lord for the full work of grace in our lives. Yes, the saving, sanctifying and Spirit fulness of grace for life and ministry is needed by every believer. This will free us from the unreasonable trust and confidence in self.