Friday 26 April 2013

Failure is Not Final

Next Step Devotion


"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchhill

 "My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." - Abraham Lincoln

"Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement." - C.S. Lewis

Moses, Aaron, Job, Jeremiah, King David, Peter, Paul, Mark, even Jesus........ what do all of these super-heroes of the Scriptures have in common? Each of these men were used mightily in God's plans and purposes for the world. However, each of these men also experienced moments of seeming failure.

Moses's anger caused him to never enter the promised land he journeyed toward for over 40 years. Job lost everything humanly possible except his life, yet God counted him more blessed than all men. Jeremiah was imprisoned and exiled for proclaiming his message, and King David is renowned as the "man after God's own heart" despite adultery and murder. Peter failed on multiple occasions, failing to respond to Jesus' requests for prayer and denying Jesus as the moment he was needed most. Paul only become "Paul" after redemption from his days of tracking down and killing those who professed Christ. Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas on the mission field. And finally, Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for every sin of the world, lived life as a homeless, impoverished, rejected and ridiculed individual. He was constantly accused of blaspheming the very God from which he came! He caused rejoicing in the dungeons of hell at his crucifixion....but we know how that one turned out don't we!

God's Word is notorious for choosing broken, shameful, reprehensible "failures" and transforming their lives and destiny for the glory of God. For sure, some of the most admired and studied figures throughout the entire Bible are those that also experienced the greatest failures. Some of these failures were a consequence of sin, while others faced earthly failures (loss of status, finances, or rejection). Both are covered by the grace and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. However, it seems there is no escaping the intense personal pain experienced in the wake of failure, no matter the form. 

This week on New Day Cafe we sought to encourage you in God's truth that "Failure is Not Final." In fact, the seeming failure that you may be facing could only be the beginning of what God has in store for you life. As with the testimonies of Jim Vacelli in Indiana and Ashley Harrison at The Foundry Rescue Mission, no failures of the past can disqualify you from God's grace. Moreover, past failures can provide the foundation for a testimony that will transform and redeem the lives of others who may be walking the same path. 

Jim described himself as an atheist, addicted to drugs and pornography. His destructive lifestyle soon became a direct agent in the failure of his marriage. Every good thing, every hope for the future seemed shrouded by his own failures, and as such he chose to take his own life. But God!! God had bigger plans for Jim's "failure," and at the moment before taking his own life, Jim felt a force push him to his knees. He cried out to Jesus the first time, and God came with his eternal redemption and salvation. Today Jim is remarried and serving as a teacher within his local church community. 

In our interview with Dr. Erwin Lutzer about his book Failure: The Backdoor to Success, Dr. Lutzer encouraged us that no matter what the circumstances, failure can provide the catalyst needed for spiritual victory. It is the realization of our depravity that we can become humbled at the feet of Jesus and able to receive his blessings and wisdom with a pure heart. Dr. Lutzer also explained how we may take on a false understanding of what failure and success is in God's Kingdom. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Lutzer's book that provides an eternal perspective:

Heaven will be filled with surprises! Many "successful" Christians will be nobodies and some whose lives were strewn with the wreckage of one failure after another will be great in the kingdom.

Most of us have unclear ( usually false) notions of success. We hear testimonies of converted movie stars , professional singers , or those who are "successful" in some vocation. Unconsciously , we assume that all Christians should be like them.

Perhaps we have forgotten that not many wise, noble, and mighty are chosen by God. We judge ourselves and others by a false standard.

Perhaps today your eyes are clouded by the "failures" that lay before you. Maybe your marriage has failed, or your business went under during the economic recession. Perhaps your children have turned from the faith and you are constantly bearing the weight of what you could have done to turn their hearts towards Christ. Maybe you are a minister who is facing the rejection of what you believed were loyal church members, causing you to question the calling for which you have offered your life so sacrificially. You may even be bearing the weight of condemnation for slipping back into a sin that you have publicly announced as having once conquered. While emotions of shame, guilt, or regret may seem overwhelming, there is hope in the mercy and character of Christ. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 assures us that when we accept Christ and repent of our sins, we are transformed into completely new creations! No trace of our past, or even our future failures can thwart God's plans and purposes for our lives. "All things work together for the good of those who love him (God)," is not just a scriptural verse to make us feel better about our circumstances. That verse found in Romans 8:28 is the all-powerful living word of God, and it is applicable to any and every circumstance you may be currently facing. By faith we must believe God's word that He turns beauty into ashes and replaces mourning with shouts of joy. 

Jesus death marked perhaps the greatest moment of "failure" for every single one of his followers. Yet Jesus' resurrection turned the entire concept of failure upside down, providing hope and restoration for the eternity of mankind. Whatever sense of death you may be feeling as a result of failures in your life, never forget that our God is a God of resurrection and restoration who redeems the iniquities of man for the eternal glory of His name!



 Interview Recaps


Key Scriptures

 Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Ephesians 4:22-24 - To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

 2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 Colossians 1:21-22 - Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
Blessings,
Melissa Rogers
Moody Radio South
www.moodyradiosouth.fm
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