Daily Reflections on Jn. 21:1-19 (Failure, Mistakes, and Screw Ups)

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first. I should know, I've done a lot things poorly. However, more often than not, after doing them again and again I generally get better. Very few of us are experts the first time we attempt something. I've never got "high score" on a video game unless it's the first time it's played.

Life is often that way. We learned to walk by taking a few step and going down. We'd take a few more steps and down again. We learn from our failures, our mistakes. We can be cruising along, enjoying the moment of life and suddenly, CRASH, we've just wrecked.

My daughter and I were tooling down the interstate at 70 mph in very heavy traffic when suddenly everyone stopped. It was like a scene out of a movie; tires screeching, cars careening out of control hitting ditches, sliding sideways. Me, I locked up the brakes and tried to slide in between the 2 lanes of cars, just as a van did the same thing from the other lane. I avoided the van but couldn't quite squeeze between it and the semi-sideways car in front of me.

Gun-shy wouldn't describe how I was driving or even riding in a car for several weeks. Panic would be a better word any time somebody's brake lights went on in front of me. I was a mess. But after one session with our counselor, I was back behind the wheel doing fine. Accidents, mistakes, failures happen in life. You can't let them hold you down or back. Wallowing in self pity or simply accepting a one time incident as fate, takes you out of the joy and potential of life. Besides, sitting on the sidelines prevents you from fulfilling God's plan and purpose for your life.

Jesus restored Peter after his colossal failure. He'd cashed in his future and had settled for an unfulfilling past. But Jesus helped him through it and gave him charge of his own mission. Just a few weeks later, Peter was baptizing 3,000 people into Christ and standing up to the religious hierarchy who threaten to kill him. Quite a change.

Having made my fair share of mistakes, failures and screw ups, I've learned that the more I trust in God and rely on the Holy Spirit, the better off I am. Acknowledging and learning from my screw ups only makes me better. God's grace is always bigger than my disgrace. God already knows I'm a mess. When I admit it, confess it, surrender it, He often takes my very weakness and uses it to His glory to minister to someone else.

God, thanks for your grace. When I'm weak, then you're strong. Thanks for turning my blunders into your blessings. Because of you, my failures don't disqualify me. God re-mold me, replenish me, re-use me for your Kingdom glory.

Daily Reflections on 3 John 2-4

What is truth? From varying philosophies, to different religions, to the multitude of media outlets, to Wikipedia seems like truth is sometimes a hard thing to get our hands on. The internet has exploded the forums for scams and fraud. Even our former Presidents have redefined "is" and "crook."

Who do you believe and how do you know what's right? Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth and the life. He said He was the only way to God, the Father. Some have doubted His claim and sought to discredit or discount Him. Others have flat out denied Him. Still others have bent His truths to their own liking.

But as a friend of mine once said, "Truth is truth no matter if anyone believes it." For years courts would have one put their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth. Why? Because God's Word is the standard of truth. God's truth, found in His Word, was given to us for our benefit. Living by the truths of God's Word plays out to our advantage. God is interested in our health and wellbeing. When we fail to live by or adhere to the standards of God's teaching, we have to face the consequences.

Living by the truth of God's Word is not about following a list of rules and regulations. It's learning how to build and grow in my relationships with my spouse, my kids, my parents, my friends, my coworkers, my bosses. It's learning how to keep from screwing up my life or how to restore it once I've had the train wreck. It's about learning how to handle my finances, about finding my purpose, about planning for my future.

God, I want to be found faithful to your truth. Help me live day by day in your truth, Your Word. Thanks for shining your light on my path to show me the way and keep me from stumbling.