Keep looking unto Jesus even when you fail
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. (Prov. 24:16)
One of the critical skills we need as believers is the ability to rise up again after “blowing it”, a failure or even doing something foolish. It can become a mountain in itself to overcome our feelings of guilt, shame, disgrace and embarrassments after a gross failure. The worst judge of another man is the man himself, and fellow man by him. Humans, including yourself, are often more severe with each other. There are times when God forgives a man of his sin but that individual just cannot get past that failure. Sometimes our sense of personal pride causes us not to be able to rise above a past mistake. Not fully accepting God’s forgiveness and acceptance after a failure is not humility but pride and arrogance and will be detrimental to our spiritual health.
Learning to keep looking unto Jesus at all times, in success and failure, is key to our daily walk as believers. There are few things that can paralyze a man or woman like feeling worthless after a catastrophic failure. Your ability to realize that your worth is not in your eyes but in the eyes of the Lord will keep you from the harshness of those around, including yourself. The scripture above says the righteous man may fail seven times and still rise again. The righteous do not stay at their place of failure. They rise again and continue to make strides forward because God is their hope and not themselves. There are ministers who have fallen and are unable to rise again, not because God will not restore them, but because the people around them and they themselves just cannot get past it.
Never allow your own heart, or the perception of others to keep you at your point of failure. God wants you to always keep looking unto Jesus, as the One who calls you worthy. You are not accepted in His sight because you did the “right things”. The power for you to keep moving in the right direction comes from accepting His perception of who you are to Him. Beware of your own harsh judgment, and that of others around you, when you experience moral or spiritual failure. It is a characteristic of the righteous ones to be able to rise out of a failure and move on, rather than stay in a failure that might have happened 5 or even 10 years ago. Take your eyes off yourself, and off others and keep looking unto Jesus at all times.
MEDITATE
The Word in your mind and mouth (1 Tim 4:15; Josh 1: 8)
Think about what that scripture above means-that the righteous will rise again even if they fall repeatedly. How does that apply to you?
PRAY
Water the Seed( word) to grow. Invite the Spirit’s strength! (Isa 32:15; Zach 4:6)
Ask the Spirit for the grace to move on past any points of failure. Pray that you will be able to see yourself at all times the way God sees you. His eyes are the anchor of your identity and not your eyes.
APPLY THE WORD TODAY!
Your door to a blessed life today is doing God’s Word. Refuse to be a hearer or reader only! (James 1:22-26)
Is there a past mistake, sin or failure that seems to be a hindrance to your today? Or something you “can’t believe you did it”? Are you still leaving in a mistake that was done yesterday, or even 10 years ago? If so, your personal pride in your abilities may be keeping you from accepting God’s total forgiveness and restoration. Keep looking on Jesus today, as your righteousness and holiness before God. Walk in the way of the righteous, and rise up and above every point of failure in your life. God has given us the ability and privilege to be able to identify our errors, come to Him in full acknowledge and repentance and be given a fresh opportunity to start all over again.
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