BOXED IN - 21 Day Journey To Easter Through The Book Of LukeSample

Boxed in by Failure

I’m sure this isn’t a news flash to you, but you’re going to mess up, a lot. You’re going to fail as a Jesus follower. And your mistakes are going to hurt you and those around you. There’s no getting around it. Whatever the specifics, you and I are destined to fail in living up to God’s standards. But how we respond to that failure is up to us. We can let it box us in and define us or we can let it be a powerful force for growth and change in our lives.

The Apostle Peter knew a thing or two about failure. Not only did he have several screw ups with his aggressive approach with Jesus, but he denied he ever knew Jesus and left Him for dead. That’s pretty bad. (So bad we’re still talking about it 2,000 years later.) Peter collapsed under the weight of his sin. But that’s not where the story ends for Peter. Eventually, Peter turned to Christ. 

When we fail, it’s appropriate to grieve the pain of failure. This is a sign of repentance. It’s the first step in taking our failure to Jesus. He will welcomes us back. He will forgive us. He will correct us. Rather than letting our failure cripple us, we will move into a deeper relationship with Jesus. 

Questions: How have you allowed your sin to distance you from God? Are there any failures for which you haven’t forgiven yourself? Do you know anyone currently struggling with self-forgiveness that you could pass this article on to?