God is calling Failures. Start again.

 Perhaps you have failed and lost all hope.

Perhaps you have dared to do something for God, but you have failed, or other Christians have betrayed you. Maybe you are disappointed with your marriage or with your children. That really hurts.

But right now, God wants you to know that He still has a purpose for your life.

God wants to restore his disappointed children. God will transform failures in this season to do great things by His grace.

HERMANN ZAISS

Hermann Zaiss (1889 - 1958) was an outstanding German evangelist.

In 1924 he suffered terrible disappointments. His wife suffered a total nervous breakdown and became chronically mentally ill.

His marriage failed and he was misunderstood by Christian congregations and condemned by many.

He was so traumatised that he gave in to despair and told God he wanted nothing more to do with Him. But after 20 years, God would call him again if it would please God.

In the meantime, he remarried and God called his new wife to a living faith.

During the Second World War, they suffered bombing raids from the British and Americans. His wife wanted to start a Bible study group, but he didn't want to.

Then in 1944, exactly 20 years after leaving God, he and his wife knelt together and gave their lives to God's service.

They started a Bible study group that became a church of 120 and then a group of 250 after the war.

People from all over Germany and other countries came and experienced miraculous healings.

A German Jew in the British Army of Occupation came to faith and his hatred of Germany was transformed into a deep love.

A fanatical SS officer was transformed and he became friends with the newly converted Jew.

If you are disappointed with your life, let Jesus take on your disappointments.

He suffered and died on the cross to save you from your disappointment.

Jesus stands by your side now and he calls you as he once called Peter, Peter the failure who became Peter the apostle.

… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:2–3 NIV

You have Potential. Failure is not Final.

 A young woman went to see a psychiatrist. She told him she was schizophrenic and hoped he could help her. After a long conversation, the psychiatrist realised that she was not schizophrenic at all. Her family had imposed this false identity on her as a child.

I had eczema as a small child. I always had to wear gloves and my parents tied my hands to the side of my cot. Otherwise, I would scratch and tear my skin terribly.

Gradually the eczema disappeared, but then I was nervous, hyperactive and clumsy, even though I was intelligent.

Years later, I often visited a school friend. He recently told me how I accidentally spilt a jug of water not just once, but often.

My father encouraged me and I became a good chess player and learnt to appreciate classical music. I studied English literature and German, but in practical matters I kept making silly mistakes. My father was then irritated and critical.

Later I wanted to learn how to use a computer, but with little success.

Then, nearly 30 years ago, I wanted to study the Bible intensively. A friend of mine was studying at a Bible school. He told me that I absolutely needed a computer. That was in 1996.
I bought a computer and resolutely dedicated myself to mastering Windows 95. It wasn't child's play for me, but I didn't give up.

I worked as a language teacher for years. Through diligent effort, I developed my computer skills to the point where I could help my colleagues.

The idea that I was a technical idiot was deeply rooted in my childhood, but I was determined to overcome it. I've been using my computer every day for more than 20 years. I am a blogger and communicate with many people in other countries.

Were you given a false identity from an early age? Did you always hear that you were a failure, an idiot or perhaps mentally disturbed?

At school and at work, we always find cruel people who sense our insecurities and want to exploit them. Maybe that's why you experience bullying and are constantly put down.

None of this comes from God. God created you in his own image.

My mother was always put down by her mother. She went to university but failed miserably. Years later, she found help from a therapist. When she was 60, she went back to university. A few years later, she graduated. She wasn't really a failure.

God is your creator. He has a plan for every person. He doesn't create failures, idiots, mentally disturbed people.

You may be repeating the same negative thoughts about yourself over and over again. Please stop doing that!
Instead, keep repeating God's truth.

God created me and God does not create failures!

God created you for a good purpose. Ask God to show you how He sees you. You have potential.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 NKJV

With God as your guide, your potential can become reality. Even your weaknesses can become strengths.

Failure is not final. A well known American writer said: I failed my way to success.

You can’t earn your salvation. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the cross.

But Jesus did not accomplish everything for you so that you could accomplish nothing.

Failure is not Final

 You failed. Perhaps you tried your best, but you failed.

We are all flawed, even when we want to do the best we can. Then your friendship, your job, your love relationship, your ministry explodes. You can now see how you went wrong.

But something is broken. You are suffering. The people you care about are suffering. What can you do?

We can cry out to God for help. Only God can knit your heart together. Only God can repair broken friendships.

Jesus died to reconcile you with God. He also wants to reconcile you with your neighbour.

Are you now ready to recognise your mistakes? Then God can help you in a marvellous way.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NIV

Jesus came to save sinners. No one is excluded. Jesus is also the good shepherd who restores his already saved sheep when they go wrong.

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Lk 15:4 NIV

Perhaps you are already a faithful disciple, but you have failed.

You have gone astray, but perhaps not too far. Nevertheless, you are hurt, and you have hurt your friendship or family too. You are devastated, but Jesus loves you no less.

Jesus still remains your good shepherd.

Even if you have truly sinned wilfully, you must know that Jesus wants to give you grace to repent and receive his forgiveness.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn 1:8–9 NIV

God helps His Children to Succeed

I love success. It feels good. God does not want his children to fail. God wants to help you progress in your work with your talents.

Jesus told of a rich man who entrusted three of his servants each with a considerable sum of money. They were to invest the money productively. They were to act wisely and diligently.

When the rich man returned from a long journey, the first two servants had invested with great success.

The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 

“ ‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ Luke 19:16–17 NLT

“The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ Luke 19:18 NLT

But the third was frightened and did not want to take any chances.

“But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe.

I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ Luke 19:20–21 NLT

The rich man was angry and the anxious servant was fired.

Many say that Jesus accomplished everything on the cross and there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation.

This is certainly true. But a wise preacher once said:

Jesus didn't accomplish everything so that you could accomplish nothing. (Bill Johnson)

Success is good, but not always good.

If you use your talents to build a big pornography company, like Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, you will burn in hell unless you repent and receive God's forgiveness.

If you use your spiritual gifts to build a big church and get rich, but the members look to you instead of reaching out to the world as followers of Jesus, you go to heaven when you die, but not as a faith hero.

Success is good if your success is the work of God in you, through you and with you.

I love success. It feels good. God doesn't want his children to fail. God wants to help you progress in your work with your talents.

If your work is his work and your success is His success, you will be really successful.