Facing-Your-Failures

Did you know that...

Henry Ford failed to put a reverse gear in his first car?
Thomas Edison failed in 10,000 experiments before he finally invented the lightbulb?
Abraham Lincoln lost nine elections for political office and failed in business twice before finally being elected president?
Albert Einstein was dismissed from school because he lacked interest in his studies, failed an entrance exam to a school in Zurich, and was later fired from his job as a tutor?
Beethoven's music teacher, the brilliant John Albrechtsberger, said he would never compose any worthwhile music because he failed to follow the rules of musical composition?
In 1932, when Fred Astaire was starting out, a Hollywood talent judge wrote on his screen test: "Can't act, Can't sing, Going Bald - Can dance a little"?
Michael Jordan failed to make the junior-varsity basketball team when he tried out, and later the school principal told him to consider enlisting in the Air Force Academy after high school, which would be his best option for a career?

The road to success is lined with failures. Perhaps the fear of failure keeps more people from trying to reach their goals than any other factor.

Failure, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. For some, failure becomes their self-description. For others, it only becomes a fresh challenge pregnant with new opportunities. Some people want to play it safe. They just want security. No risks. But Douglas MacArthur said, "There is no security on this earth. There is only opportunity."

It's interesting that the Chinese symbol for opportunity is also the symbol for crisis or danger. It's all in how you look at it The tragedy is that our desire for security and our fear of failure keeps us from ever attempting anything great in life and great for God. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Until you are willing to risk, you will remain imprisoned in our world of fear

Faith is a risk.
Love is a risk.
Financial investing is a risk.
Career change is a risk.
Following your dream is a risk.
Stealing home plate is a risk.
Marriage is a risk.
Having children is a risk.

But when you take the willingness to risk failure and couple it with sound wisdom and faith in God, nothing is impossible!
Sometimes failure hits us hard. Just like it did Simon Peter when he denied Christ.
He went out from Caiaphas' "hall of judgment" and wept bitterly.
But that's not enough. If all you do is weep bitterly over your failures, you will never be any better off for having failed.
Don't waste your sorrows. Use your failures to become Better, not Bitter.

Here are Five Lessons we learn about facing our Failures from Peter's Experience.

I. Failure Is Never Final (4) Peter is Limping

The seeking Shepherd. After Jesus' resurrection, Peter still felt so discouraged and useless to God because he denied Jesus that he told the others, "I'm going fishing. "
Enough of this ministry business. I've failed. I'm going back to my comfort zone" (3). Then Jesus passed by, and that made all the difference. What a joy to know that Christ comes looking for us when we fail.
"Early in the morning" That says it all, doesn't it? The morning speaks of a new day, a new opportunity, a new beginning. We can put the past behind us and reach for what is ahead. It is not coincidence that the Resurrection took place in the morning. Luke 24:1, 2 says, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning... they found the stone rolled away from the tomb." Perhaps that was the fulfillment of Malachi's vision of the Messiah, who said, "The Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings" (4:2, NKJV). Night may have set in your life, but the Sun of righteousness will shine on you because failure is never final.

II. Failure Does Not Change Our Status With God (5)

"Friends" What a word of intimacy. He called them friends the night of the Last Supper (John 15:15). Let me remind you of two vital aspects of Christ's friendship, which, by the way, does not bring God down to our level nor us up to His. It does mean that we are close to Him, and He is close to us. Even Abraham was called the friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7), and Moses spoke with Him as His friend (Exodus 33:11). By the way, have you seen the new bumper sticker, "Friends don't give friends fruitcakes"?
The Prodigal Son: servant or son? After the Prodigal Son comes to his senses and realizes what a colossal mess he's made of his life, he says to himself, "I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men'" (Luke 15:18, 19). Why does he make such a statement? Because he cannot fathom a forgiveness great enough to restore his relationship with his father like it was before he left. As far as he was concerned, his youthful rebellion and indulgent lifestyle, which had cost him his inheritance and left him penniless, was enough to permanently ruin their relationship. Now for the rest of the story:

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (vv. 20-24).

Do you get the picture? The Prodigal refers to himself as a servant. But his father calls him "my son." There's a world of difference between a servant and a son. The point is, the father's forgiveness had fully restored their relationship as if it had never been severed.

III. Failure Can Be Transformed Into Success (6)

"Throw your nets in again." Try again. I can still recall my father telling me the story of the little train ascending the steep side of the mountain: "I think I can.... I knew I could...." The point is, try again. There is no shame in trying and failing. The shame lies in being too afraid to try in the first place. They caught 153 fish. Some early-church leaders said this referred to the 153 different kinds of fish in the sea identified by the famous Greek fishermen, referring to their success to evangelize the entire world.

IV. Failure Does Not Mean You Are a Failure (12)

"Come and have breakfast." The communal meal of close friendship is depicted so beautifully. Now this ought to be a scene with which we can all identify. I mean, Christians eat as well as anyone. Eating is synonymous with fellowship. The bread and the fish reminded them of the feeding of the 5,000; the Passover; the two disciples on the Emmaus Road when their eyes were opened.
Failure does not permanently scar your life. We must be careful about generalizing failure until we become one with our failures. True, sin leaves scars—dome worse than others. It does take time to heal and to be restored. But, in Christ, old things pass away, and all things become new! Jesus' invitation is, "Come and have breakfast!"

V. Failure Does Not Disqualify Us for Kingdom Service (15-17)

Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep." Here's the point: Jesus was giving him a second call to his ministry, just like He had given to him nearly four years earlier at that same spot on the Galilee when He said, "Come, follow me" (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).
God is the God of a second chance. We see this same principle in Jonah's life: "The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time" (3:1);
also in Jeremiah's life, when God spoke to him a second time (33:1).

Closing: Whatever failure you have experienced, get back up today by grace, and get back in the game of life and in your calling to ministry because God's not finished with you yet!