Week 12 – March 16-22, 2025: What Is Denial?

This week’s daily readings:

March 16-22, 2025

This week’s devotional:

What Is Denial?

by Phyllis Bonugli

Scripture:

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again, he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. 

— Matthew 26:69-75 (ESV) 

Reflection:

Have you ever thought of the true meaning of denial? Denial is a defense mechanism in which an individual refuses to recognize or acknowledge objective facts or experiences. It’s an unconscious process that serves to protect the person from discomfort or anxiety. 

When I was a young adult, I was very anxious. I grew up in an alcoholic home with five siblings and we had to deal with a lot of trauma. One of the ways I dealt with it was to live in denial and minimize the truth of the abuse we were experiencing. I got so used to denying the truth and telling lies because the lies I told were my way of protecting myself from discomfort and anxiety. These lies eventually became my truths, and as I got older those lies of denial led me to a life of repeating the same dysfunction I came from. After a while, denial was a way of life. I didn’t even know I was lying. 

Sometimes the pain of denial leads us to do and say the thing that is easier to handle but so far from the truth. 

I believe Peter was experiencing so much pain and confusion at the time of Jesus’ arrest that it led him to deny the truth – not once, not twice, but three times! Can you see a pattern here? Once it starts, it just becomes a contagious coping mechanism we use to cover the fear, discomfort, and confusion in our lives. 

But the story does not end there. All hope was not lost, and in the end, Peter was able to move forward, face his fears and failures, and find forgiveness, hope, and courage. He was able to face Jesus again and he allowed the truth to set him free! 

Peter is an inspiration to me because I was able to follow in his footsteps of true healing and allowed the truth to set me free. He is truly my rock! Finding the truth and living in it led me to my path of purpose, and today I lead a Hope and Healing group that leads people out of denial and into the light of God’s truth. Praise Him! 

Prayer:

Father, thank you for walking through life with me and teaching me that no matter where life takes me, you are always there. Thank you for leading me out of a life of denial and into a life of truth. You are the way, the truth, and the light! As Psalm 66:16 says, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” Amen