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FAILURE CAN BE FOLLOWED BY SUCCESS

Posted by Dr. Bill Blanchard on

 

Failure often makes fertile soil for the seeds of success if we approach our setbacks and challenges with God’s help.  But many people never get back up after being knocked down.  Rather, they become discouraged and give up, complain about bad breaks and a raw deal, or they make feeble excuses.

When Paul and Barnabas left on their first missionary journey from Antioch, they invited young John Mark to assist them.  He displayed great promise and they counted on him, but at Pamphylia Mark left them.  We don’t know what the exact problem was—homesickness, discouragement, or personal problems—but Mark quit and returned home.  During preparations for a second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, but Paul objected so strongly that “there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.  But Paul chose Silas and departed…” (Acts 15:39-40).

This successful missionary team split over the issue of Mark’s earlier failure.  But Barnabas, big-hearted and always the encourager, gave Mark a second chance.  He expected wonderful things from this young man in spite of his past failure, and Mark responded well.  In fact, years later Paul wrote the last letter of his life to Timothy and, in the final chapter, said, “Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service” (II Timothy 4:11).

To a large extent, people become what we expect of them.  This is especially true when our expectations of others are through the eyes of Jesus Christ.  As long as we are willing to start over with God, our failures need not be final!  God’s Word tells us that each Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  And, therefore, because God’s Spirit lives in our lives, will you then join me in expecting great things from one another?

Devotedly your pastor,

Bill Blanchard

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