The Unique Way God Treats Failure By His Children
Failure is the frequent subject of quotes on social media. Here’s a link to a site with 30 Powerful Quotes On Failure. Go read a few and come back here and tell me how they make you feel. If you’re dealing with failure right now reading quotes doesn’t help. No matter how clever it is, a quote doesn’t change anything.
Christians fail. If you’re not a Christian you may be surprised to hear that. Christians aren’t perfect and fail often. We fail each time we sin. We fail in our jobs, marriages, parenting and, well, you get the picture. Yet there’s something unique to know about failure as a Christian. It doesn’t change the way God treats us or sees us.
[Tweet “Any failure can be an impediment or an incentive to spiritual growth.”]
What does failure mean to you if you’re a Christian? It means you’re normal. Here are six things the Bible tells us about how God relates to us when we fail.
- God provides for our spiritual failure. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection has paid the price for any sin we have or will commit. We need only humble ourselves and ask to be forgiven and restored and we will be. 1 John 1:9, 2:1
- God doesn’t condemn us for failing. Once we become a child of God by faith and are part of God’s family He treats us like His child. A good parent doesn’t shame a child who fails. Neither does God shame us. Romans 8:1
- God doesn’t reject us when we fail. There is no one who failed more publicly than King David 2 Samuel 11-12. Yet God forgave him and didn’t reject him. Even after he died was kind to Judah because of him 2 Kings 8:19.
- God doesn’t disqualify us because of spiritual failure. Saul was a persecutor of the Church, beating and imprisoning Christians, even agreeing to watch Stephen as he was stoned to death. Yet God didn’t hold it against him when Paul turned to God in faith and repented of his sin. God used him to do great things for Him Acts 9:11-16.
- God can use failure to enable us to grow. Peter failed Jesus spectacularly when he denied he knew Jesus three times. Yet he learned and grew and went on to become one of the leaders of the early church. Luke 22:54-62, Acts 2:14-41
- God is patient with us during our spiritual failures. God let’s us sin. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. He gives us time to repent and turn back to Him 2 Peter 3:9.
Failing in the Christian life doesn’t mean you are a failure. It means you’re normal.
[Tweet “Satan says you’re a failure and accuses you. God’s says you failed and forgives you.”]
When I feel like a failure knowing these truths and knowing God’s unconditional love and acceptance lifts me up and gets me back pressing on. Pick one of these truths and think about it all through the day today.
Which one of these six truths most speaks to your heart? Please leave a comment below.
