Failure happens. It is not an option because it is inevitable. Not every time. But no matter how hard we try or what skills we have, we have all fallen short, and we will all fall short again. Some failures hurt more than others, and some can be truly devastating to the point that they can haunt the rest of our lives, if we allow that. They can make us unsure of the point of trying again. But God loves to use people who have messed up and failed in big ways. Don't allow that devastation to be the end of the story. No, we can not do anything that will insure that we will never fail again, especially not on our own. But we can limit the magnitude and the devastation by going under the guidance of and in the power of the Spirit rather than trying to do it ourselves. But what about the times we've already blown it? God uses those times. He can use our defeats for His glory and to make us better and bring us closer to Him as easily, maybe more so, than He uses our victories.
Having failed does not define who we are. Messing up does not mean that we will never be able to do anything right. Falling short of the goal doesn't mean that we shouldn't take another shot. Don't allow condemnation to hold you back. The secret to overcoming the failures of the past is to surrender and rely on Him. Peter sank when he saw the waves around him, but he didn't run from the presence of Jesus and give up because of losing faith. He stayed until the end, or at least until after swearing he would never desert Christ, denied him three times. Even later he had had to be called out publicly by Paul for letting what other people might think override what he knew to be truth. And yet, He did much for God, and even has a couple of books in the Bible. He helped to build and establish the church. There is no one in Christianity who considers Peter a failure, but he did have some pretty big mess ups. No matter what or how you've fallen short, God can restore you and establish you in a life worth living that brings Him glory. Don't give up.
Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on
March 9, 2016.
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