From Failure, to Reign
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Here’s some good news: failure does not have to stop you from reigning in life.
In fact in God, our failures can become testimony fuel, a component of the power that drives your adventure. This is the power of Living Grace.
Peter’s story inspires many of us because of his sheer humanity. He appeared to be an open book, displaying his strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. A man whom God used wonderfully despite battling frailties. This speaks to us all. In his second letter, he makes this wonderful statement:
‘His divine power Hs given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his glory and goodness’. (2 Peter 1:3)
I ponder whether this was not just a statement of sound doctrine from the Apostle. He was sharing his story, his experience, his testimony. He had seen the glory of the one who called him (Matthew 17), and he had experienced the goodness (excellence, virtue) of the one who had redeemed his failures with love and grace.
Peter was singled out by Jesus as not being able to stay awake and pray whilst Jesus battled over his future. He had no defence. Mark’s Gospel tells us ‘ They did not know what to say to him’. Utter shame!
Just a few hours later, Peter would endure the horror of denying even knowing the one he loved, and had sworn to stand by, three times. Again, Mark records the depth of sorrow Peter felt: ‘He broke down and wept’.
How do you come back from that? Well, I’m the end, all it took was an encounter with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Three times Peter denied Jesus. Three times Jesus covered his failures by redeeming and restoring the beleaguered Peter. (John 21:15-17). Each failure is beautifully redeemed by Jesus, and recycled into Peters testimony of the goodness of God.
Unrepentent failures become weights in our lives, levers which the Devil can use to manipulate and intimidate us. But when we come to God in sorrow and repentance, these failures are transformed into testimony fuel. They become resources to push back the Devil and drive our adventure. They have no power to hold us back. Here, you will always find grace, whether you come once, seven times or 777 times! His grace for you in unending.
I paraphrase Jesus’ words to Peter like this. And these are words Jesus speaks to you as you turn to His love to receive grace and redemption:
“You’re not forgotten. There’s unfinished business. I’m still thinking of you. You’re not left out. I’ve not written you off. You’re still special to me, and we’re gonna fix this.”