We Are [Not] Failures

No one wants to label themselves a failure, but we all fail. The Bible spells it out clearly for us: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV).

Knowing we will fail and probably fail often, however, shouldn’t leave us feeling discouraged. We were never meant to do any of this life alone. First and foremost, we are to rely on God. We must lean on his strength in both the mundane and magnificent.

Look at the disciples Jesus chose to be with him during his ministry on earth. They weren’t the cream of the crop. They were simple fishermen, a thieving tax collector, regular people the world may have considered failures.

In Luke 22:32, Jesus says, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (NIV). Jesus is speaking to Peter at the Last Supper, right before Jesus is to be taken and crucified. The disciples must have felt the mounting tension. According to Scripture, they weren’t fully aware of what was to come, but they knew something big was coming. Peter had already declared that Jesus should wash all of him, not just his feet, so Peter could be with Jesus. And later Peter would boldly declare he would die with Jesus, but Jesus already knew how Peter would really react.

Jesus tells Peter that he had prayed for him, then he says, “And when you have turned back . . .” Jesus knew Peter’s personality and his heart, and he knew Peter’s humanness. He knew Peter would deny him, but he also knew Peter would do great things for him.

Jesus loved Peter despite his impetuousness and failures. We can easily see the magnitude of Peter’s failure. He followed Jesus, he was his friend, and he dined in the presence of the Lord. Peter was the one who jumped out of the boat to walk on water with Jesus. He was all in. Then he denied Jesus, harshly and with curses, and he did it more than once.

Jesus knew it would happen; he knew Peter would fail. He knows our failures as well. But just as with Peter, he says when we turn back, he’ll forgive us and he’ll want us to press on.

Peter did turn back, and he performed mighty acts in the name of Jesus. He stood firm in situations like the ones he had previously run from. He was a fiery and passionate deliverer of the gospel.

We won’t do everything right. We’ll make mistakes. We’ll fail.

Don’t let that stop you. Jesus knows. Jesus cares. Jesus loves you.

You can do nothing that Jesus won’t forgive. Whatever reason you have for running away from the gospel, turn back. Don’t let human failure (yours or others) keep you from Jesus.

As a teacher, I stress the importance of studying original documents. Textbooks are great resources, but to really understand a time period, you need to study both its political and literary documents. They can help you gain an accurate assessment of that era.

This holds true for biblical truths as well. We live in an age when a variety of sermons are available at our fingertips. Churches are everywhere. It’s not difficult for Americans to find a group of Christians to gather with. We can do all the “Christian” things, but if we’re not reading the original document of God’s Word, we’ll be operating woefully out of context.

When we study our Bible, we can easily discern Truth apart from the world’s view. Passages and verses are readily available for any given situation. When we fail, we know that Jesus has already forgiven us of our shortcomings because we have read about revered biblical heroes who failed miserably, but who were forgiven. God knows our limitations. He loves us despite our many imperfections.

When you fail, don’t beat yourself up. Learn from your experience. Go to the Lord in prayer. Study your Bible. And then get back up and try again. Align your heart with the Lord’s and see what he has for you. Because of him, you are not a failure.

Dana Herndon is a writer, blogger, and middle school teacher. She and her husband live in Georgia with their three children. In addition to teaching and writing, Dana loves to read, paddle board, and sometimes run. She blogs about faith, family, and enjoying the everyday life at danaherndon.com.

Photograph © Joseph Gardner, used with permission