We’ve all experienced moments where success makes us feel larger than life. I know I have. When I was a kid, I wasn’t always picked first for teams. But on those rare occasions when I was made captain, my confidence swelled so much, I could hardly fit through the door. Success has a way of puffing up our pride, doesn’t it? It makes us feel good about ourselves, and we can easily fall into the trap of thinking we’ve got it all together.

But that’s not how Peter responded when he experienced the greatest catch of his career. Luke 5:6-9 recounts how, after following Jesus' instructions, Peter and his partners brought in such a large catch that their boats began to sink. You’d think this success would have made Peter proud, but it didn’t. Instead, Peter humbled himself and fell at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

Why did Peter respond this way? Because when you see Jesus clearly, you see yourself more clearly. Up until that moment, Peter had only known Jesus in the shallow waters, where things seemed manageable. But in the deep water, where the miracle happened, Peter came face-to-face with the truth about who Jesus really was. And in that moment, he realized just how unworthy he was in comparison.

It’s much like stepping out of a dimly lit room and into the bright sunlight. In the soft glow of a 40-watt bulb, I might think I look fine, but step me into the sunlight, and every imperfection is laid bare. In the same way, when we stand in the light of Jesus, we can no longer hide from the truth of who we are. We see ourselves as we truly are—broken, imperfect, in desperate need of grace.

Humans, by nature, tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We blame others for our shortcomings. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent blamed God. Today, we still point fingers—husbands blaming wives, employees blaming bosses, and even friends blaming each other. It’s always someone else’s fault. But the truth is, when we compare ourselves to others, we can convince ourselves that we’re doing just fine. If I’m measuring myself against my friend Eric, I might think, "Hey, I’m a pretty good guy!" But the moment I compare myself to Jesus, everything changes. Suddenly, I stand in the light of the Son of God, and I can no longer ignore the truth of my flaws.

It’s only when we truly encounter Jesus that we begin to see ourselves for who we really are. The Bible tells us that Isaiah, when he saw the Lord, fell on his face and said, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). Daniel, described as beautiful, was transformed when he saw God’s glory and said his beauty became like corruption (Daniel 10:8). When we truly see ourselves through the light of Jesus, we realize how hopeless we are without His grace.

So, when we feel the urge to puff ourselves up, remember Peter’s response. It’s not about what we’ve done or achieved. It’s about humbling ourselves before the One who sees us for who we truly are, flaws and all. And in that humility, we find the grace we need to follow Him.