Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two, and then comes night.
Greatly begin! though thou have time
But for a line, be that sublime--
Not failure, but low aim, is crime. -James Russell Lowell.
It seems sometimes that we have so many opportunities to mess up in life. We do things we know we shouldn't; and we make mistakes. I'd like to share some examples of this with you. When industry tries to expand to other countries, there are plenty of opportunities for mistakes. Years ago, General Moters (GM) tried to introduce the Chevy Nova into South America, they neglected to notice that in Spanish “No va” means “No go.” Needless to say, sales were poor for a car that wouldn't go.
In the U.S., The National Dairy Association had great success with their “Got Milk?” Campaign. But, when they took this slogan into Mexico, they were informed that their Spanish translation read, “Are you lactating?” When Coca-Cola was introduced in China, their attempts at finding a phonetic equivalent in the Chinese language resulted in a drink called “bite the wax tadpole.”
Pepsi didn't do too well either with their Chinese advertising. Their “Come alive with the Pepsi generation” slogan translated into, “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.” The point is: "We All Make Mistakes!" For sure, some of them are more public than others, But, as you can see, we’re in good company when we make mistakes. Oh, we may try to deny it. We may even call it something other than a mistake. But, no matter how we try to sugar coat it, or slap some lipstick on it, it's still a mistake!
Look, we all make mistakes. Right? But, that shouldn't stop us in our tracks. Whenever we make a mistake, we should realize that we're learning. We're learning how not to live – so that we can learn how to live.
And that brings us to the topic of today's message: There is no failure, or mistake that cannot be remedied through the grace of God. You see, He knows we’re going to fail sometimes. At the last supper, Jesus told Peter that Satan would “sift the disciples like wheat.” Peter’s response was a characteristically bold declaration. He said “I’m ready to go both to prison and to death!” Then Jesus informed him that, before the rooster crowed the next morning, Peter would have denied Him three times. And he did... Jesus knows we’re gonna fail.
Thankfully, God is in the restoration business. He uses our mistakes and failures to bring about His intended results. It’s often through our mistakes that He is able to teach us, and to transform our character. But, only If we will let Him. Peter was pretty low after the rooster crowed because he realized what he’d done. He hadn't stood by Jesus the way he’d promised. He wasn't even as good as his word. He was learning how not to live. However, Jesus didn't leave him there feeling hopeless. And, He won’t leave us either, if we are just willing to listen to Him.
Jesus told Peter, you made a mistake – 3 times in fact! Now, let me tell you three times, that I know your heart, Peter. And, even though you failed, and declared things you could not live up to; because I know your heart is right, I still have work for you to do. In other words, don’t let your failures stop you!
Sometimes we fail and we think we can never go on again. Maybe we think we could never be forgiven because we have done such terrible things. But, this is just another mistake. God's desire is that everyone will be saved; even people who make mistakes or who deny Him.
If we're going to make the most of our mistakes, we have to learn the lessons that they teach us. Peter went on to be a pillar in the early Christian church. Through his mistakes, he learned to walk with Jesus, and he was able to teach others to do the same. He learned the restorative grace of God. He learned that we can move forward and do mighty things. We can do this, if and only if, we let our past mistakes be our teachers instead of our tormentors.
We shouldn't wallow in the misery of our mistakes. Instead, we need to let our mistakes be a stepping stone to victory. We all make mistakes in life. You, me, everyone. It isn't always easy, but the truth can set us free from repeated mistakes. Even if we feel miserable discovering the truth.
When we realize our mistake, we so often say, “If only I’d done it this way.” We replay the things we did wrong in our mind. We think about how we should have done it. And that’s good – to a point. Thinking about how we could have done better helps us to see our error and follow truth. Eventually, we need to leave it behind and turn our “If only’s” into “Today I will do it this way.”
If we grasp onto Christ, and give our lives to Him. He promises us that His Holy Spirit will dwell within us. And when we have the power of the Holy Spirit, all things are possible – even moving forward after our mistakes. People of God shouldn't live by waiting for everything to be lined up perfectly. We shouldn't say, “I can’t serve God because I’ll just make mistakes.” And, we shouldn't say, “I’ll serve God flawlessly once I’m perfect.” Because I am telling you here and now, if you wait for that day to come, the journey will pass you by.
Whatever mistakes you make in life, let them be a place of learning. Whatever error you see, replace it with truth. Whatever else you do, live by faith. Faith that you will make mistakes. Faith that God will see you through it. Believe that God will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
Scripture: Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 37:24; Ephesians 5:8; Isaiah 40:8; Romans 8:1; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Matthew 7:1
Prayer: Dear Father, give me peace, hope and joy. Help me share these gifts with others so they may experience happiness. Amen
God bless you,
Maiya
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