Failure Is Not Final

Wheat Field [E-X-P-L-O-R-E-D]Image by KevinLallier via Flickr

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Luke 22:31

I once heard the quote "God never gets disillusioned with us as He never had any illusions in the first place!" There is a reassurance that God, knowing all about us with all our faults and weaknesses, still chose to save us and comission us in His service.

It's interesting to note here in this scripture that Jesus prayer was not that Peter wouldn't fail, but that his faith would not fail. Jesus had confidence in Peter that he would respond to the trial with an unfailing faith and that he would be restored.

I have a real problem with failure. I have the feeling that I have surprised and shocked God yet again with my inadequacy. But the truth is He knows me better than I know myself. He knows every word before I say it and every action before I make it. I have been encouraged recently to recognise that failure is never final and that these times of trial and temptation are to sift us. They have a very important purpose. I wonder if Peter would have been able to stand up on the Day of Pentecost and be so wonderfully used of God if he had not been through such testing?

Satan wants to remove faith from me but every time I get back up and learn from my fall, he is defeated yet again.

Comments

Mark Kreider said…
This will help me as I have need of it often, thank you.
Steve said…
Another encouraging word.Thank you!
SandyCarlson said…
Very encouraging, indeed.
Barbara said…
Absolutely right. All for the building up of our faith and being changed from one degree of glory to the next. Of course we do not like it but if we never failed we would be relying on our own strength (which is a lie of the enemy anyhow) and not feel so dependent on God.
Pietro Brosio said…
That's so true: God knows us better than we know ourselves.
I like how you offer the lesson in ways that are so easy to follow. Thank you!
FA said…
We are so blessed that we have a God who wanted to come down from heaven to experience humanity - everything, but sin. Indeed, he was tempted to sin - but did not act on it. So, we should take comfort in His great mercy because He knows what we are going through. Thanks, Mike, for your personal reflection.
deena said…
Thank you Mike. So true in my life at present.God is in control.He knows everything about us- He created us.He strengthens us in our weakness.
duopastorale said…
He IS Deena, and all things work together for good when we place it all in His hands :)

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