Is hope in failure possible? Failure can be an unpleasant experience but also a time of learning. Failure in a positive way can be humbling and leads to being more teachable. Sometimes, we won’t listen to anyone because we are prideful and think we know better.
When failure comes, we begin to realize we were wrong. Maybe you are like me and have undergone a humbling failure process where the Lord got your attention. Perhaps you are in the midst of that now. But remember, during failure, there is always hope in Jesus.
Religious Leaders are Humbled
In our story, the teachers of the religious law and the Pharisees saw themselves as holy and righteous. They wanted to trap Jesus so they could get rid of Him, but He used their trap to reveal their hearts. Through this, they became aware of their failures and their sin.
John 8:4As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.[1]
Let Jesus Teach You Through Failure
Jesus is like a great sculptor who uses the chisel of failure to transform us. During times of failure, I learn to lean less on my understanding and more on God. Failures often force us to examine our level of trust in God, where true hope can be found. The culture may tell us to depend only on ourselves, but we realize we need the Lord’s help when failure happens. We need His Light to shine in the darkness of our failure.
While independence in some areas of life is commendable, complete dependence on God with everything, including my failures, requires that I trust Him. The first step in repentance is seeing my sin and confessing it to the Lord. When I do, I go from hopelessness to hope.
God does not waste anything and can use my failures to mold and turn me toward Him. Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. [2]
Is hope in failure possible? To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/light-in-sin
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 8:3–9). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ps 40:1–2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.