Failure Is Not Final.
”From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” John 1:16 NLT.
My thoughts and comments today are about,“grace is amazing.”
History is a story of both efforts and attempts, success and failure. If you have never made a mistake, you were not attempting much of consequence, or not trying very much, or not accomplishing anything very important. History bears evidence to that. Thomas Edison failed five hundred times to invent the light bulb but didn’t stop until he succeeded. Eventually, he was successful because he didn’t quit trying and believing his idea could be achieved. Babe Ruth, a legendary baseball hitter known for career home runs, is remembered for his successes not his strikeouts.
Success and failure are common to all. Your best intention may not be achievable. Your best effort may fall short of your intent. Your best judgment may be inadequate. Your impulsiveness will produce regret. Your words or actions will hurt someone you never meant to hurt. Those are not the same as failures of character or lack of integrity. They are simply results of our common humanity.
Failures are not comparable. They are not all equal, not from the same source, not with the same cause and consequence. Failure may be something you do or a mistake you make. The good news is this. Your history need not define your destiny. God specializes in redemption.
Failure is not final, unless you allow it to be. Read Hebrews 11. Many of the revered names in the Bible’s chapter of champions would have been a mere footnote in history if their stories had ended with their mistakes. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter and Paul, and all the others. Instead, their stories are a tribute to God’s redemptive and amazing grace. They failed but they chose not remain failures. Their obedience and faith in God gave them strength to become more than they had been or would have become without the Lord.
Peter spoke before thinking. He reacted without considering. He failed often and on a grand scale. Jesus warned Peter about his natural tendency, but also assured him that even his failure could be redeemable and become useful to help others. “When you have returned to Me, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 NKJ. Peter returned to Jesus, learned from his failure, and spared others from theirs. There is much that failure will teach you, if you are willing to listen and learn.
Don’t give up on yourself. Jesus doesn’t. You can be wiser. You can do better. Turn away from failure; do not keep repeating it stubbornly. Bring your failures to Jesus, who alone can give you forgiveness and a fresh start. Seek and receive God’s wisdom, when yours has been inadequate. When asked, share your experiences to help others to avoid the same mistakes. Failure need not be the end of your story. A loving, forgiving God offers you a new place to begin anew.
You may be tempted to judge yourself by a failure of the moment, but Jesus looks upon you in grace and sees both your past and your potential. A Savior sees what you are becoming rather than what you have been. I love this beautiful Bible verse, “To as many as believed on His name.” John 1:12. NKJ. Grace is God’s gift and remedy for your failures and mistakes.
In faith, I intend to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of the Lord forever.” Matthew 25:21 NKJ. The last word over your life can be God’s commendation, not condemnation. As Paul wrote to the believers at Rome, “There is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk no longer after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 NKJ. His grace is truly amazing.
My prayer for you today is to walk before God in forgiveness and freedom.
EDL Communications 2019
Website and archives: allenrandolph.com