God is with us during and after our failings.
In our last blog after Moses’ epic failure he ran into the desert and sat down at a well. There he had time to reflect on his failure. Sitting at that well I’m sure Moses thought: what did I just do to get me where I am at right now! Can you relate?
Unfortunately, many of us do not sit down long enough to process our poor choices! For the next 40 years Moses received a humbling education in obscurity, but God was with him. Moses’ desert experience brought a needed perspective that he didn’t have before his failure – humility.
Failure can lead to a lack of trust in God and yourself
But, it doesn’t have to. Some cannot accept their failures and cannot move on. They’re stuck. When God asks Moses to represent Him to the Pharaoh he was understandably and absolutely reluctant after failing so miserably! Moses: Not me Lord, I’m not qualified, I’m a loser. Moses was preoccupied with his past failure. Are you?
If my heart response is, “I don’t need this, I don’t deserve this, I’m a failure, I can’t do anything right” I’ll continue my story line and won’t learn from poor my choices. We’re not going to grow and learn if we have this hardened attitude and we’ll likely be destined to repeat the same failings again and again. Blaming everybody else for my failings will get me nowhere! Do you think your past failings are so huge and consequential and beyond redemption? Do you wonder if God can ever redeem your life? The answer is an emphatic YES!
Failure is an open door for a deeper trust in God
Maybe like Moses were reluctant to move forward and think our time has passed us by? God can do for us what he did for Moses. He can call us back to Himself and deepen our trust in Him. After Moses’ failure his ‘uninvited and unexpected time’ in the desert brought him to a place of personal reflection and it’s is no different for you and me. Thankfully, there is a better way! Like Moses, we can accept our failings and let Him use them as He chooses.
Failure can increase our confidence in God.
Even if we think were useless and washed up God can restore us and beckon us to deeper trust in Him. Being in the desert can either drive us away from God or increase our trust in Him! We can choose retreat after failing and throw in the towel or we can learn from our poor choices that our life is not over and neither is our life purpose!
We can be available and respond differently and confidently when an opportunity arrives. Our fear should not be of failing at something, but failing at something that doesn’t matter all that much. With God’s leading and power God used Moses’ epic past failure to eventually lead his people out of slavery.
Failure can empower you to help others
God redeemed Moses’ failings and He can redeem yours as well. His glory can shine out of what you bring to him in humility! Moses helped thousands and God can empower you to help others too.
Know that God’s everlasting arms of acceptance are always open to you! Trust that He can redeem your poor choices to help others. He’s used to it and He’s good at it and he wants to do that for you too.
