FAILED!!

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

How many of us have had that word ‘failed’ thrown at us in our formative years? We had teachers who did not understand the power in positive encouragement. Maybe even parents that tossed that word at us in their frustration and lack of knowledge about how best to train a child. I heard it many times…especially in sewing, gym and German! The word rings in your ears and embeds deep into your memory bank, often coloring everything you attempt to do the rest of your life. Often it even stops you from doing something as you remember how it felt to be called a failure! Even in our adult world bosses, spouses or friends may use negative words to convey their disappointment in your performance and the entire deck of cards falls on your head as you remember how that ‘failure’ word was expressed to you.

As adults we must take the initiative to overcome that word, and even the memory of that word. We must be in the directors chair and call the shots in each scene of our lives. Nowhere does the word ‘failed’ come into the vocabulary of Holy Spirit when we are attempting to live for God.

Now, I do need to remind us all that God also said; ‘all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory’. This is before we asked Jesus to forgive our sins and cleanse us so we will be free of failure. Therefore, before salvation we did fail at all our attempts to reach God. However, once we have a relationship with Jesus, He says we are no longer condemned, but have eternal life waiting for us.

There are many Biblical characters that failed in their attempts to follow Jesus, even as they were following Jesus! We can learn from their ‘failures’. Let’s take a look at Peter, for example.

If you are watching the series Chosen, you will see Peter in his impetuous best! (If you have not watched it, I highly recommend it). you may recall some of Peter’s faux pas. When he got out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, he took his eyes off Jesus…and sank! Think of a time when you did the same thing. Maybe an answer to prayer did not come right away and you tried your way. You sank. This is not a failure but a learning experience. Next time your eyes will remain fixed on the Lord!

Peter was one of the guys that slept through prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane! It seems incredulous to us now that Peter would do this, but than think for a moment…have you ever dozed off reading the Bible? praying?? listening to a sermon? Good truths may be lost when we do not keep ourselves alert to the task at hand.

Another time Peter had had enough! He gave up on this whole new life with Jesus and went back to fishing. Have you ever done the same thing? It seems like this life of a believer in Christ is just too hard, and you return to the dirty, but familiar pig sty! Fortunately for most of us that does not last very long as we see what our future looks like from a pit, compared to the view of the eternity that we have promised to us!

The best part of Peter’s story is…Jesus knew his heart, and knew he was not a failure! He became an over comer If you recall Peter was the preacher to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4. He took beatings, prison, and died a martyrs death. In his lifetime he wrote 2 inspired books of the Bible. His perceived failures were just stepping stone, foundational for his future successes!

Learning from failure is a humbling experience, but with God’s help, we can grow as Peter did. God gives us several principles about growing through your failures, or perceived failures.

Remember that your response to the words, no matter how hurtful, is your responsibility. We cannot control what the other person says or does-only what we say and do. This can be trained into us so that we do not have an immediate and reckless response, but, after careful consideration and prayer, we can respond in a controlled manner-or do not respond at all!

One way to do that is to stop blaming yourself for what you may have done. God’s grace is sufficient for us always! We must remind ourselves that God loves us, He always accepts us and He always understands where we are coming from. Trust Him.

Continue to trust God and look at Him as your role model. Comparison to another is folly as they are also imperfect!

So many of the people we have been in awe of over the years ‘failed’ at many things before they got it right. Many were told by their teachers they would not amount to anything! Ben Franklin, George Washington Carver, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison are just a few. What they knew, and we must learn is that they had found out many ways not to do what they were attempting to do. They finally achieved their goal because they persevered! Are you attempting something for God? Keep at it, modify and change it where necessary if it does not work at first but, never give up!