I Hope I Fail Better?

I started a touch of the cold over the weekend so I hope I feel better. I went to an excellent conference on Saturday called “Boundaries” and the speakers were Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, authors of the Boundaries series. The most poignant thing from the conference came at the end when they said we’re going to fail in life. We will need to fail, we need to practice failing. Why? Because it becomes an opportunity for growth. Hebrews 5:14 says “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” When we become believers the Bible says we are “born again”. So if that’s the case then we are reborn as “babies”. We need to grow up.

Part of that is failing and because of Jesus he allows us to “fail well”. “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1. We are the last people that need to be embarrassed that we fail. Jesus, because of his death on the cross, allows us to mess up and come to him and tell him we messed up and ask him for forgiveness and we will be cleansed of all unrighteousness. The world’s impression of Christians is that we walk around and that we’re “perfect” and we’re very judgmental.

I was at lunch with my wife and a friend the other day and she said her husband thinks that every one at church seems so perfect. She obviously didn’t see me a few hours earlier. Just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we don’t mess up, but when we do we need to fess up. Earlier that day, I had lost my temper at someone and it was in front of people and it was embarrassing for the person I got mad at. I think it kind of surprised some people because they haven’t seen me Iose my cool before. While my point of the argument may have been valid, my delivery stunk so I apologized later which I know the Lord wanted me to do and the enemy was not pleased.

The point here is that I need to use opportunities like this as a chance for growth. God doesn’t want me and you to keep repeating the same mistakes (we still will), but he wants us to grab a hold of the “solid food” and not continue to nurse on the “Gerbers”. The verses prior to Romans 8:1 in chapter 7 are a great read. They are all about how we want to do the right thing and we try, but we constantly mess up. That’s because we were born in sin and live in these fleshly bodies. But because of Jesus he gives us the freedom to overcome our sins and grow.

As I look back over the past year I realize it’s been a year of a lot of failure for me, but I know at the same time it’s been a tremendous amount of spiritual growth as well. I’ve failed in my marriage many times recently repeating the same mistakes, not listening, digging my heals in, not speaking the truth in love. But thanks to the grace of God and my wife, we’re at the best possible place in our marriage we have ever been.

So the next time you’re in church or you see some celebrity glorifying himself and not God just remember that person blows it just like you. The President blows it, Billy Graham messes up, your senior pastor will lose his temper, your boss will come across unloving. But thanks to Jesus it doesn’t waste a hurt. He will use it for His Glory if we allow him to.

I think I’m failing better now.

Mark