WHEN WE FAIL

We all have times of failing and succeeding. The successes sure feel a lot better than the failures… as everyone knows. However each one seems to reciprocate the other. I often think of the apostle Peter and his very open and obvious failures in trying to follow Jesus. From the refusal of foot washing, his presumptuous boasting about following the Lord, his two betrayals before the betrayal at Gethsemane, his failure to watch and pray as the Lord requested, the mistaken courage to cut off the ear of Malchus, forsaking the Lord when he was arrested and led off, and his denial of the Lord before them all at his trial. You would think that a person like that would have no place in the Kingdom plans of the Lord… yet it is Peter who is chosen out specifically to lead the apostolic band and preach the Pentecost sermon and become the apostle to the Jews.

Seth Godin writes, “But what if I fail?” You will. The answer to the “what if” question is, you will. A better question might be, “after I fail, what then?” Well, if you’ve chosen well, after you fail you will be one step closer to succeeding, you will be wiser and stronger and you almost certainly will be more respected by all of those that are afraid to try.”

What others may see as failure may be something the Lord sees as courage, fire, faith, risk, tenacity and boldness. So we have made mistakes, we have failed, we didn’t quite cut it, and we blew it big time. The Lord can use us when we repent as Peter did. “After I fail, what then?” We will… get up and go again.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus