Failing Forward!

Have you ever tried to serve God and miss it? Have you ever tried to overcome a weakness or a habitual sin and just seemed to fail time and again? Have you ever tried to learn a skill and thought you couldn’t do it?  Have you ever make a commitment to yourself that you would not let your mom, dad, brother, sister or friend push your buttons?  You know, those touchy places in your life that make you mad or angry. 

Have you ever thought, I just can’t do this?  I can’t overcome this weakness or addiction? Have you ever felt like you’d never be able to do enough to earn God’s love? 

I’ve felt like that. But let me share with you what I discovered one day in the midst of complete and utter failure. I learned that:

• I could not earn my heavenly Father’s love. He already loves me.
• My definition of success and God’s definition were different.
• The key to winning in Christ is that when I fail, I rise again! 

Micah 7:8-11 became one of my favorite scriptures.  It says “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.  I will bear the indignation of the Lord, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.  Then she who is my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down like mud in the streets.

The Key to Success
I learned that I was only defeated…. If I stayed down. 

---

The key to success in God’s kingdom and in your walk with Christ is to fall (fail) forward. When we fail our weakness are highlighted. It helps us recognize where we need to invite Christ to work and transform our lives.  God can turn any failure into an opportunity to overcome if we allow Him. 

Never count anyone out who serves Jesus Christ.  He rose from the dead and He can help anyone who makes Him Lord to rise above any personal failure. When we make Jesus Lord, we humble ourselves. 

Psalm 145:14 says “The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.”  Psalm 37:23 says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.”  God knows we are not perfect.  That is why He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and I. The thing that makes me able to come into God’s presence is the righteousness provided through the blood of Christ.  As long as I confess my sin and repent, my sin is removed and no longer separates me from God so I can call upon Him and ask Him for grace to help me apply His word to my life.

Proverbs 24:16 says “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.”
​
The key to success in Christ is to not stay down. I promise you, when you ask for help from the one who rose from the dead, the one who is called “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) you to can rise again.

Think on These Things

• Micah 7:8-11, Psalm 145:14, Psalm 37:23 and Proverbs 24;16
• 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• 1 John 5:4 - For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
• We can use every one of our failures to advance in Christ if we respond well. We can fail forward.
• What area of my character am I going to focus my faith upon today?