My flesh may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
- Psalm 73:26 NLT
Success can be defined as the positive outcome of an endeavor. We tend to uplift and honor successful men and women because we value what we perceive to be someone’s hard work and ingenuity paying off. What we do not honor is failure – failure is frowned upon, ridiculed and mocked. You will never discover your full potential or purpose if you are afraid of failing because failure is the foundation on which success is built.
In what areas of your life have you failed? Have you failed as a husband or wife? Have you failed as a son or daughter? Have you failed at school? Have you failed on a business venture, at your job or in your finances? Failure is not defined as a lack of success; it is never trying again that signifies failure.
Do It
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:25-30 NIV
“Lord, save me!” Those are the words of a drowning person. There isn’t a worse feeling than drowning, than feeling helpless and abandoned. When we first begin to drown, we fight for our survival, doing all we can to stay afloat, but fighting makes us tired. In our tiredness, we stop fighting and give up, and when we give up, we go under. So, the business drowns, the marriage drowns, the recovery drowns, and our faith drowns.
What are you going to do when what you were hoping and depending on drowns? Are you going to quit or are you going to trust God? Are you going to say, “nothing good ever happens to me” or are you going to declare that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4;13)? Are you going to stay in your failure or are you going to believe that though you may fall, you are not cast down: for the Lord upholds you with His hand (Psalm 37:24)?
Do It Again
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
- John 2:4-7 NIV
Where some people see failure, God sees faith. Peter got out of the boat twice. The first time he walked on water and began to drown when he took his eyes off Jesus. Would you say Peter failed because he drowned, or would you say he had faith because he got out of the boat and walked on water? There is faith in every failure, learn from what did not work so that you can grow in stature, wisdom and favor with God. The second time Peter got out of the boat, he did not worry about drowning and did not even wait for confirmation that it was Jesus who was instructing them because he had previously learned that Jesus would not let him drown. So, do it again. Learning from what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead (Philippians 3:13).
When Jesus instructed His disciples to do it again. They did not protest or question His direction, they just did it again and found success where there was previously failure. God is instructing you to do it again. To try again. Hope again. Believe again. Because He has a blessing waiting on you if you do not give up.
- Psalm 73:26 NLT
Success can be defined as the positive outcome of an endeavor. We tend to uplift and honor successful men and women because we value what we perceive to be someone’s hard work and ingenuity paying off. What we do not honor is failure – failure is frowned upon, ridiculed and mocked. You will never discover your full potential or purpose if you are afraid of failing because failure is the foundation on which success is built.
In what areas of your life have you failed? Have you failed as a husband or wife? Have you failed as a son or daughter? Have you failed at school? Have you failed on a business venture, at your job or in your finances? Failure is not defined as a lack of success; it is never trying again that signifies failure.
Do It
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:25-30 NIV
“Lord, save me!” Those are the words of a drowning person. There isn’t a worse feeling than drowning, than feeling helpless and abandoned. When we first begin to drown, we fight for our survival, doing all we can to stay afloat, but fighting makes us tired. In our tiredness, we stop fighting and give up, and when we give up, we go under. So, the business drowns, the marriage drowns, the recovery drowns, and our faith drowns.
What are you going to do when what you were hoping and depending on drowns? Are you going to quit or are you going to trust God? Are you going to say, “nothing good ever happens to me” or are you going to declare that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4;13)? Are you going to stay in your failure or are you going to believe that though you may fall, you are not cast down: for the Lord upholds you with His hand (Psalm 37:24)?
Do It Again
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
- John 2:4-7 NIV
Where some people see failure, God sees faith. Peter got out of the boat twice. The first time he walked on water and began to drown when he took his eyes off Jesus. Would you say Peter failed because he drowned, or would you say he had faith because he got out of the boat and walked on water? There is faith in every failure, learn from what did not work so that you can grow in stature, wisdom and favor with God. The second time Peter got out of the boat, he did not worry about drowning and did not even wait for confirmation that it was Jesus who was instructing them because he had previously learned that Jesus would not let him drown. So, do it again. Learning from what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead (Philippians 3:13).
When Jesus instructed His disciples to do it again. They did not protest or question His direction, they just did it again and found success where there was previously failure. God is instructing you to do it again. To try again. Hope again. Believe again. Because He has a blessing waiting on you if you do not give up.
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