Facing Failure

You had the chance to make the game winning catch, but you dropped the ball. You were one vote away from becoming Class President, but you were defeated. You were one grade away from making the Dean's List, but you missed the mark. You were one interview away from getting the job of your life, but the company hired someone else.

We've all traveled down the road of failure at some point in our lives! It doesn't matter who we are or where we come from, we've all experienced this terrible reality. The Bible acknowledges this phenomena and records two of Jesus' apostles who failed Him miserably.

First was Simon Peter whom Jesus took as one of His "inner three" apostles along with James and John. They were so privileged that at times only the three of them were able to watch Jesus in action when the other nine apostles could not (e.g., raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead, beholding Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, and being with Jesus as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest) - Matthew 17:1-3; Mark 14:32-41; Luke 8:49-56.

Peter was the first apostle to confess Jesus as Messiah (Christ), Son of the living God. Peter temporarily walked on water with Jesus, and received the "keys of the kingdom of heaven." As brightly as this follower of Jesus shined at times, however, he had a dark side. When crisis came, Peter cowered in fear. Crisis occurred when the temple guards, chief priests and elders of the Jewish community arrested Jesus. When asked if he was a follower of Jesus, Peter DENIED three times ever knowing Jesus. He didn't want to in any way be associated with Jesus for fear of his own life. Peter failed! - Matthew 14:29; Matthew 16:16-18; Matthew 26:69-74.

The second apostle who failed Jesus was Judas Iscariot. All we really know about Judas Iscariot is that his obvious character flaw of a covetous spirit and love for money (pilfering the apostles' money bag while no one was looking) caused him to BETRAY Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Judas failed! - Matthew 26:47-50; John 12:4-6.

Both of these men were apostles of Jesus Christ. This meant that they could raise dead people, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, exorcise demons, and miraculously regenerate the nerves of paralyzed people. It meant that they had authority over the demonic world, authority to forgive or retain people's sins, and directly represent Jesus as His ambassadors wherever they traveled. But both men failed Jesus miserably! - Matthew 10:1-10; John 20:22-24.

While both of these men failed their Lord, both of them handled their failure markedly different. Peter wept bitterly after he sinned, then repented, returned to his fellow apostles and became one of the greatest leaders in church history. Judas, on the other hand, went out and hanged himself after he had realized his guilt in betraying the innocent Son of God - Matthew 27:3-10; Luke 22:61-62; Acts 2:14-41.

What do you do when you fail? How do you react? Do you give up? Or do you fight back with a "can do" spirit? Are you more like Peter or like Judas? You're thinking, "How can I be like Judas if I'm reading this blog?" "Judas killed himself, but I didn't." True you have not physically killed yourself, but maybe you (like Judas) refuse to accept God's forgiveness for your failure. Maybe you (like Judas) went off by yourself and cut away from people; from community.

You have a choice my friend. You can either run from failure or face failure. You can overcome! You can do it! And remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!