How Do We Handle Failure?

Last Sunday we looked at Jesus being questioned by Annas and Peter's denial of Jesus. What really stuck out to me from this sermon is considering how we handle failure. Peter was very passionate and seemed the least unlikely to reject Christ, and yet he did, not once but 3 times! We may be passionate for Christ, but we too are human and fail to love and stand up for Jesus as we should. Many times it is in the little ways, like forgetting to give God glory or not sharing openly what God is doing in our lives. We also fail to represent Christ by not living as we ought and doing what we want or what is easier.

So when we fail Christ, what do we do? in Luke's account the denial, it says that Peter went out and wept bitterly. Is this how we respond to our denials of Jesus? Do we weep that we have failed to stand up for Christ? I am learning to do this, but often I do not.

We are to weep that we have denied Jesus. But it does not end there. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we can repent. We confess that we have denied Christ and ask for forgiveness and move forward knowing He has forgiven us and taken our sin and shame from us. In Christ we can overcome failure and live the way God intends for us to live.