Life Lessons From 25 New Testament CharactersSample

Growth through the Blows

Mark went on missions for God. Mark documented the Good News of Jesus to the world by writing the Gospel of Mark. Mark opened His home for the church. Mark accompanied and helped so many Christians doing God’s ministry to the world. Yet, Mark did not begin that way. Mark made a lot of mistakes. He ditched the cause of God a few key times. He was afraid often. He abandoned his friends in the ministry. Flat out, Mark made mistakes for many different reasons. And yet, God called him, grew him from those mistakes, and used him to let the world know about the incredible Savior, Jesus Christ. Do you ever make mistakes and think, “I’m no good for God?” God has a curious way of calling us, we who make mistakes for reasons too long to count, and sticking with us. Mark is a man who grew over time in his devotion and service to the Lord and his friends. He is an encouragement to us that God is faithful, teaching us through our mistakes and making us into the people He wants us to be.

THINK and PRAY:

Disturbed by the Truth.

Mark’s good friend, the Apostle Paul, wrote these words, "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:5&6) Now, Paul wrote these words to other Believers in Christ, but they apply to us all. Paul and Mark had a good amount of tension in their relationship, yet they both understood that God was forming in them through their victories and mistakes, their highs and lows. In the same way, we have to recognize that God does His work in us over time; we learn from our mistakes and grow wiser and more faithful to Him. What are some mistakes you have made that resulted in your growth (even if those mistakes came with pain, shame, or consequences)? Are there any areas you can say, “Only God could have made me more like Christ in THAT area!”? Have your mistakes helped you to love God and others more as He has redeemed those areas?