The Man You Were Made to BeНамуна

Failure

Failure on this side of eternity is unavoidable. We all fail, often and ongoingly (James 3:2). But there’s hope! We can learn to ‘fail successfully’ as we humbly acknowledge that failure doesn’t define us, Jesus does.

The life of Peter is characterised by peaks and troughs. He moved from thumbs-up success to thumbs-down failure within moments. Maybe you can relate? We’ve all got our share of triumphs followed by disasters. Peter’s most famous failure is his denial – three times – that he even knew the arrested Jesus. He lies to save his life, and Jesus willingly gives up His. But thankfully, because of Jesus, failure is never final. The cross wasn’t the end of Jesus’ story, or Peter’s.

In John 21 we read that Peter, nursing the guilt of his failure, goes back to what he used to be pretty good at: fishing. A stranger appears on the shore telling Peter how to have another net-bursting catch. Recognising Jesus, Peter obeys. He must’ve been feeling as if his failure was unforgivable, yet Jesus comes to find him! Peter and Jesus go for a walk on the beach, and Peter begins to understand that his failure was never going to have the last word. Peter was standing near a fire when he denied Jesus three times. Now, there’s an interaction loaded with poetic intention as, standing by another fire, Jesus asks Peter three times, not ‘How did you do?’, but rather, ‘Do you love me?’ Two out of three times, Jesus uses the verb agape for love (the unconditional, self-sacrificing love of God). Peter always replies using the verb phileo for love (brotherly affection or friendship). He doesn’t quite get it, and in this moment, it seems unbelievable that Jesus would choose Peter to spearhead the global church. But God’s power would be shown through Peter’s weakness. Peter doesn’t even get full marks on this ‘love test’, but Jesus still gives him a fresh start and new responsibilities. Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter; He uses him. He uses you, too, despite your failures.

Peter’s conversation with Jesus ends with him comparing himself to John, asking Jesus, ‘What about him?’ Jesus replies with a question of His own: ‘What’s he got to do with you?’ Jesus then comes full circle. His last recorded words to Peter, in John’s gospel, are the same as His first: ‘Follow Me.’ Instead of comparing our failures and successes to others’ and trying to reconcile how God works in our lives compared to how He works in others’ lives, let’s just follow Him.

Remind yourself today that mercy meets you at your point of failure, teaching and transforming you. When you take responsibility for your failure, God will use it for His glory and to bless others. Your mess can become your message. No matter how badly you feel you’ve blown it, Jesus comes looking to restore you, not reprimand you. He wants to save you, not scold you. You’re forgiven. Follow Him.