Matthew 26:33-35 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away…. Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”
I don’t know about you, but I have a mental cache of situations I could label “I wish that hadn’t happened” I wish I hadn’t scraped the side of my car at the mailbox. I wish I could take back those words. Wish I had followed that nudge and bought my student a cup of coffee.
Failure, despite our best intentions, is a given in a fallen world.
The more we expect perfection from ourselves (or others), the more we’ll land in a heap of frustration and disappointment. The best way to ensure a failure-free life…well, I can’t think of a scenario. Living life means experiencing both failure and success. Thankfully neither defines us. God wants to use both our defeats and triumphs to help us find our true identity as his children (Philippians 3:7-8).
Even when we mess up bigtime. Like Peter.
When Jesus told his disciples they would all fall away after his crucifixion, Peter adamantly rejected it. He protested he would die with Jesus before denying him. But as we know, within a few hours, Peter denied knowing him three times. And how did Jesus respond to Peter’s mammoth failure? He instructed him to strengthen his brothers when he came through!
I’m sure Peter must have experienced a “I wish that hadn’t happened” moment. But Jesus didn’t let that moment define him. He knew Peter was so much more. And you, friend, are much more than your failures. So am I.
This doesn’t mean we carelessly brush off our mistakes. We acknowledge them and repent. Then we let the grace of God work even our darkest moments into something good. Don’t let either pride or self-pity keep you away from God’s grace. Let him reach down and pull you up.
And the next time the failures of other people affect you, don’t define them by their weaknesses. Offer them the same grace you’ve received. Because failure is a given. Whether or not we use it as a measure of identity is up to us.