Join the Club

Have you ever felt like a failure?  Like whatever you touched was immediately ruined?    Or, something you messed up would forever prevent you from accomplishing anything worthwhile?  Join the club!  Who among us has not felt like that for whatever reason?  Well, hang on as we take a tour of God’s Word to see how those we admire so much also blew it.

ABRAHAM “went forth as the Lord had spoken to him”  (Genesis 12:4) and “he went out, not knowing where he was going”  (Hebrews 11:8).  So far, so good.  But, when they escaped to Egypt because of a famine, he LIED to Pharaoh to protect himself, claiming Sarai was his sister (half-truth) instead of his wife, which put them all in jeopardy.

JACOB DECEIVED his own brother, tricking him out of their father’s blessing (Genesis 27:18-30).  How appropriate that his name meant “deceiver”.  No wonder an angel of the Lord wrestled with him all night, wrenching his hip and giving him a new name.  (Genesis 32:24-32).

MOSES KILLED an Egyptian, fled for his life, then while leading the people out of Egypt, DISOBEYED God by again striking the rock in his anger instead of speaking to it as instructed  (Numbers 21:9-12).

DAVID COMMITTED ADULTERY AND MURDER before being confronted by Nathan and repenting (2 Samuel 12:1-13).

PETER followed Jesus for three years, yet still DENIED even knowing Him when asked three different times while Jesus was being falsely accused and tried.  (Matthew 26:69-75).

SAUL/Paul PERSECUTED Christians before meeting Jesus on the Damascus Road  (Acts 7:55-8:4).

Liar, deceiver, rebel, adulterer/murderer, denier, persecutor.  Quite an impressive list of failures, wouldn’t you agree?  Yet, God – in His mercy – included these “heroes of the faith” in His Word, warts and all, to encourage those of us who also blow it.

From God’s Word we can know how it all turned out:  how the Lord was able to use each one of these imperfect people to achieve His purposes.  Abraham believed God and the child of promise came in his old age – the child upon whom a whole nation would be birthed.   Moses continued on and completed the mission of leading God’s people into the promised land, then was allowed a peek into the area before God took him.  David repented and eventually was termed a “man after God’s own heart”.  Simon – whom Jesus renamed Peter, which means rock – the brash, loud-mouth fisherman who buckled under the pressure of being aligned with the One on trial, gave the first sermon on Jesus and His sacrifice and three thousand souls believed and the church was birthed.  Paul made three missionary journeys to spread the gospel and wrote  encouraging letters to those churches, many of which comprise part of the New Testament and bless us to this day.

These men lived at different times.  They were human like us.  They failed.  But, failure only wins if we give up.  You and I may not birth a nation, preach to thousands or write something that lasts.  But, that doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel.  Jesus ministered to individuals and sometimes alone with just one person.  No audience.  We don’t decide what’s worthy.  Don’t give up; God isn’t done with you yet!  (Philippians 1:6).

“…but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”   (1 Corinthians 1:27)