"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18 ESV
East St. Louis track and field athlete Willie Johnson said he remembers well the feeling of disappointment of not being able to compete at the IHSA competition earlier this spring after a fight that broke out during the Southwestern Conference Meet led to a suspension of his team for the remainder of the season. "It was tough. I cried my eyes out a couple of times,” Johnson said. “But what happened to us in the spring, that really pushed me even harder this summer. It really motivated me." I would say it motivated him! Johnson, 16, captured the 15-16-year-old 400 meter title on August 4 and earned All-American honors.
And you know, just as Williams' story shows, failure can either knock us down or motivate us to try harder and rise up stronger. Consider the life of Peter. The Bible tells us that he denied Christ three times. And yet, because he showed remorse and vowed to never repeat his mistake, he went on to fulfill the words Jesus spoke to him, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." History shows that Peter went on to be the first great leader at the church of Jerusalem and developed a faith that was unshakeable. Talk about using failure as a stepping stone!
So if you feel as if you've failed miserably in your spiritual life today, don't give up my friend. Rise up instead by remembering that Peter's failure didn't mean he couldn't be used and neither does yours’.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that where sin abounds, grace abounds more. Help us to see our failures as stepping stones that we might use them to learn from and build on. And help us to see that true repentance wipes away our sins and gives us a fresh start. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Champion - Bekka Shae
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