How to Face Life's ChallengesSample

How to Face Failure

Failure can tempt us to give up. Horrified or humiliated (by a disconnect between what we hoped would happen, and what actually happened), we feel unworthy to have another go at life. And yet, when Peter – Jesus’ friend and follower – messed up royally, Jesus’ response to Peter’s failure energised him and restored his hope and purpose. Jesus responds to our failures in just the same way.

The truth is, failure might shock you, but it never shocks Jesus. In Peter’s case, Jesus had even predicted his failure (Matthew 26:34). When Jesus suggests that Peter is going to let Him down, Peter says the equivalent of, ‘Oh no, not me! Someone else might deny you. But me? Never!’ Maybe you can relate. Maybe you vowed never to do something – and then ended up doing it. Wonderfully, Jesus prices in your failures when He calls you. He paid the price for your sin – past, present, and future – and He bought the whole of you. All your success. All your failures. The magnitude of God’s love for you is incomprehensible: He pursues you, calls you, and uses you, despite knowing you will fail Him.

Astonishingly, Jesus doesn’t waste Peter’s failure. Rather, He uses it to rekindle Peter’s devotion and ignite in him a passion for his calling. And we see from Peter’s life that, with Jesus, failure isn’t final. Perhaps Peter thought the best he could’ve hoped for was forgiveness – which would’ve been enough! But Jesus came to bring abundant life. Not only does He forgive Peter, but He restores him and uses him mightily to build His Kingdom. Peter’s failure doesn’t define him. Jesus’ love defines him. Don’t forget that your failure is an incident – not your identity. And don’t forget that your failure can’t thwart Jesus’ purposes for you or His restorative love. Jesus says to Peter, ‘But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen your brothers.’ (Luke 22:32) In other words, even before the moment of Peter’s failure, Jesus is anticipating his restoration and the fulfilment of God’s call on his life. Peter will end up leading and giving his life for, the first-century church. God’s purposes for your life don’t depend upon the perfection of your performance.

Regardless of how dismally or disastrously you have failed, nothing you’ve done has taken God by surprise, and nothing you’ve done is too big to be covered by His unfailing grace. God promises to cause all things – even your mistakes, mishaps, misfortunes, and indefensible failures – to work together for your good, making you more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). Don’t lose heart. Your failure isn’t final. God is restoring and renewing you, day by day, and as Paul says, ‘our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!’ (2 Corinthians 4:17)