We all experience the pain of poor choices or actions,\nthinking we have so sinned against God that there\u2019s no hope for restoration.\nDuring these times, draw strength from God\u2019s comeback stories: heroes of the\nfaith whose failures weren\u2019t fatal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. King David\u2019s adultery and murder<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard to fathom that this beloved character who is\nspoken so highly of in more than half of the Bible\u2019s books would also be guilty\nof breaking half of God\u2019s commandments: David coveted Uriah\u2019s wife, Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2-3<\/strong>),\ncommitted adultery with her (2 Sam. 11:4<\/strong>) effectively stealing her from Uriah (2 Sam. 12:9<\/strong>),\nlying to him (2\nSam. 11:12\u201313<\/strong>), and eventually having him murdered (2 Sam. 12:9<\/strong>). When the prophet Nathan confronts David for\nhis depravity, he immediately repents, confessing his sin. When the son that is\nborn to David and Bathsheba dies, David simply receives this outcome as the\nconsequence of his action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conviction<\/strong>: When we have sinned, we must\nrecognize it and repent. God\u2019s forgiveness doesn\u2019t save us from the\nconsequences of our conduct, but if we\u2019ve abandoned the behavior and are\nwilling to accept the consequences, God will still use us. Failure isn\u2019t fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. The Prophet Elijah\u2019s breakdown<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elijah had so many miraculous experiences, you\u2019d think that\nhe\u2019d have unshakable faith. After all, he caused the rain to stop for three\nyears (1 Kings\n17:1<\/strong>), was fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:4<\/strong>), saw a limitless jar of flour and\njug of oil (1\nKings 17:14<\/strong>), witnessed a widow\u2019s son resurrected (1 Kings 17:22<\/strong>),\nand beat the prophets of Baal by calling down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38<\/strong>). But when the showdown with the Baal\nworshipers so angered King Ahab and his wife Jezebel that she vowed to see him\ndead, Elijah\u2019s faith collapsed as he fled. \nWhen God met him, Elijah was undone, feeling like he was the only\nprophet left\u2014confident that he was completely isolated and imperiled. In spite of his actions, God fed Elijah, allowed\nhim to rest, answered his complaints and\nencouraged Elijah with a still, small voice that he was not alone (1 Kings 19<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conviction<\/strong>: Burnout is only permanent if you\nallow it to be. Don\u2019t listen to everything that you\u2019re tempted to believe when\nyou\u2019re exhausted. Take time to care for yourself physically, spiritually, and\nemotionally\u2014and be restored in Christ. Failure isn\u2019t fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. John Mark\u2019s desertion<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Mark\u2019s family was an important group of people in the\nearly church. When Peter was miraculously released from prison, he knows that\nthe believers will be gathered at the home of John Mark\u2019s family (Acts 12:11\u201313<\/strong>). Due to his family\u2019s significance in the\nmovement and relationship to Barnabas, Paul and Barnabas pick John Mark up on\nthe way back from a mission trip to Jerusalem to take him with them to Antioch\n(Acts 12:25<\/strong>). But John Mark decides that he\u2019s had enough, quitting\nwhen the going got rough. A strong\ndisagreement arises between Barnabas and Paul as to working with John Mark again,\nthe two no longer working together (Acts 15:36\u201341<\/strong>). \nMany years later, John Mark comforts Paul sitting in prison, as Paul proudly\ncalls him a \u201cfellow\nworker<\/strong>\u201d (Col. 4:10\u201311<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conviction<\/strong>: We all develop gradually. Failure\nisn\u2019t always a sign that we can\u2019t cut it. Sometimes we\u2019re trying to operate at\na level that we\u2019re not mature enough to handle. We can always outgrow those\nkinds of failings, provided we don\u2019t give up. \nFailure isn\u2019t fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Paul\u2019s awful\nhistory<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Paul became the writer of most of the New Testament,\nhe was Saul of Tarsus, a terror to the early church who gave his approval of Stephen\u2019s\nmurder (Acts\n7:57\u20138:1<\/strong>). Luke tells us that\nSaul went looking for Jesus followers to throw them in prison (Luke 8:3<\/strong>). On his way he had an encounter with the\nresurrected Christ, and the rest is history. \nDid Paul regret his behavior before meeting Jesus? How could he not? In\nhis letter to Timothy he said, \u201cHere is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:\nChrist Jesus came into the world to save sinners\u2014of whom I am the worst. But\nfor that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners,\nChrist Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who\nwould believe in him and receive eternal life.<\/strong>\u201d (1 Tim. 1:15\u201316<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conviction<\/strong>: For those who put their trust in\nChrist later in life, there are bound to be reasons you feel unqualified for\nservice. But the gospel is so powerful that our transformation becomes a\nprofound testimony to God\u2019s goodness and grace. Failure isn\u2019t fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Peter\u2019s denial of Christ<\/p>\n\n\n\n Loud and impetuous, Peter was one of Jesus\u2019 closest friends\nand confidants. In fact, he was the only disciple willing to try walking on the\nwater (Mt.\n14:28\u201329<\/strong>), and was the first to call Jesus the Christ and son of God\n(Mt. 16:16<\/strong>). When Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him,\nPeter proudly rebuffs him (Mt. 26:34\u201335<\/strong>). \nBut that very night after Jesus is arrested, Peter denies him three\ntimes\u2014the third time cursing his accusers. When he realizes what he\u2019s done he\nbreaks down and weeps bitterly (Mk. 14:66-72<\/strong>). \nDid Peter\u2019s failure exclude him from Christ\u2019s plans? On the contrary,\nPeter is the first of the twelve to whom Jesus appears (Lk. 24:34<\/strong>; 1 Cor. 15:5<\/strong>), restoring Peter in a\ntouching moment on the Sea of Galilee (Jn. 21:15\u201317<\/strong>), and he goes on to become the leader\nof the disciples, preaching the first evangelical message after which more than\n3,000 people accept Christ as Savior (Acts 2:14-36<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conviction<\/strong>: Failure doesn\u2019t disqualify you,\neven if you\u2019ve been following Jesus for some time. Confession and repentance\nrestore our vital relationship with Christ. \nFailure isn\u2019t fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your story is still being written<\/strong>The only way that failure can get the last word in life is if we choose\nto let it. We serve a God who is able to take our defeats and missteps and still\nuse us to bring glory to His name. Get\nback to service<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all experience the pain of poor choices or actions, thinking we have so sinned against God that there\u2019s no hope for restoration. During these times, draw strength from God\u2019s comeback stories: heroes of the faith whose failures weren\u2019t fatal: 1. King David\u2019s adultery and murder It\u2019s hard to fathom that this beloved character who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[534],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n