Fail Forward - lessons from a repeat failure
Water cooler conversation:
What was your biggest win this week? What was your biggest challenge?
What’s the dumbest decision you ever made? Did you learn anything from it.
Unpack the Message:
Peter is one of the more relatable characters in Scripture. The impact of his ministry is evident centuries after his death, and his life story is a master class in failing forward.
In Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus tells the disciples of His impending death and resurrection. Peter is horrified and insists that Jesus is wrong—refusing to accept that the Messiah could die. Jesus rebukes Peter, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan!"
Later, in Luke 9:28-36, we read the account of Jesus' transfiguration where He appears in His glory. A cloud envelopes them, and God says, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." Mark 9:8-10 offers additional details to this event, telling us, "Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what' rising from the dead' meant." Peter, being mindful of Moses' encounter with God, suggests they pitch three tents so Jesus' followers can come and visit this place. Peter is oblivious to the intent of God's words, "This is my Son," and placing Jesus on equal footing with Moses and Elijah. Jesus has been clear about His Father's will, that He will die and rise again from the dead, yet the disciples debate what "rise from the dead" means. Again, Peter has missed the point.
In John 18:3-11, Jesus and His disciples are in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas leads a group of soldiers and religious leaders to them so they may arrest Jesus. Peter attacks one of the men, cutting off his ear with a sword. Jesus rebukes Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"
Over and over, Jesus made His mission clear, and over and over, Peter misses it. He rebukes Jesus, he's oblivious to His message, and he goes so far as to rebel against it. Yet, Peter's words in Acts 2:22-24 reveal how he failed forward. In Acts 2, believers have gathered for the Feast of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit descends, filling the place and empowering the disciples to preach and teach in every known language. Peter stands and begins to speak, preaching the Jesus' message that he had missed so many times.
God wants us to know that failure is part of the discipleship process. Your sinful nature makes you fallible, but as long as you fail forward, Jesus will not give up on you. No matter how often or how gravely Peter failed, Jesus never turned His back on him. There's nothing we could ever do or fail to do that extends beyond His power to heal and restore.
Failure can reveal when the "right" thing is the wrong thing and when the "wrong" thing is the right thing. Each time Peter failed, he thought he was doing the right thing. But, even though he was sincere, he was sincerely wrong. How do we discern what's right and what is wrong? Listen to Jesus. The Bible is our guide, revealing how to navigate life's challenges (Hebrews 4:12).
The hard part is that sometimes the lesson from failure is obvious only after you have learned it. We may look at Peter and think, "How could he miss it so many times?" yet we have the benefit of seeing the whole story from beginning to end. The key is not to look at how many times Peter failed, but instead, look at how he continually failed forward toward Jesus.
What do God’s grace and forgiveness mean to you? How has it changed you and helped you overcome your failures?
What was your biggest takeaway from the weekend message?
We’re often better at remembering our worst than remembering God’s best.
Why is this so?
How does Satan use the memories of our worst moments to diminish our service to Christ?
What can we do to combat those memories when they resurface?
Do you see failure as an event or as your identity? How can looking at them through the lens of faith reframe your perspective?
Can you see an area in your life where it would be helpful to get your satisfaction from your effort, not the result? How?
Make a Move:
Tell God your past failures that you continue to struggle with. Ask Him to help deliver you from these feelings. Thank God for His forgiveness and grace in your life. Tell Him how it has changed you
Prayer Prompt:
Lord, help me let go of my fear of failure, and the shame for times I’ve missed the mark. I know Satan wants to use my fear and shame to keep me from living boldly for You. Lord, help me not compare myself to others but instead help me keep my eyes on You. Amen.