The Discipline of Failure
What do David, the woman at the well, and Peter the Apostle have in common? They were all failures. David committed adultery and murder; the Samaritan woman failed at marriage five times; and Peter, well, just pick anything from empty boasting to denying Jesus to disbelieving the news of Christ's resurrection and you have an idea of his track record.
These people also had something else in common. The Lord managed to use them in mighty ways despite their failures. God called David a man after His own heart and the Samaritan woman was responsible for the conversion of her village. In the end, Peter was the first to preach to the Gentiles and was martyred for his faith and ministry.
There are many who fail. As a matter of fact failure is more common than success. That is why we celebrate it so. But those who fail yet continue to believe in the mercy of God and hope in His Son, Jesus-Christ, have the assurance that their failures are the discipline by which God prepares them for His service, and not the measure of their personal worth.
So cheer up those of you who see the broken line of many failures in life. Just remember what Paul says in I Corinthians 1:26-31 and realize that your failings put into God's hands by faith are the building blocks of future glory:
"26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."