Losing Your Ship without Losing Your Soul – Failing Successfully

shipwreck

I will soon be 69 years old. Psalm 90:10 shows us that God has promised most people 70 years, and some people are able to live to 80 or even 100 by reason of strength and determination. My Mom was 83 and my Dad was 87 when they went to be with Jesus. (The passage goes on to say that most of those years are filled with labor and sorrow.)

“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10

This is certainly true of my seven decades on this planet called earth. I am blest beyond measure, while having a long list of hard times that has brought me to where I am today.

I can list a major storm for each ten-year period of my life that could have caused my ship to sink, leaving me floundering for something or someone to get me to dry land. I’m sure you can do likewise.

We seem to forget that Jesus promised us tribulation in a land where success in life is measured by a list of achievements and awards. Jesus also promised us Peace in the middle of all our troubles. I can testify that He keeps His Word. He has always been there when I needed Him the most, in the darkest hours of my testing and troubles, many of which I created by my own self-will. (Jesus gave me two visions, with the promise that He was always with me – even when others forsook me)

fire butter steel

Although there are a number of things that I have done in life which bring me a feeling of pride and accomplishment, there are also a number of things that I have done which bring me grief and heartache, even to this day. My mom used to say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger!” I should be a pretty strong individual by now.

When I get too down on myself for all my failures, I look at the life of Peter. Peter started out with the name Simon and he was a typical fisherman: rough tongue, boastful, loud, tough, a leader of tough men. Peter reminds me of my dad when I was a kid on the farm.

old hunter

Dad was tough, rough, and hard to bluff. He loved to fish, hunt, trap, brag, compete, take charge of tough men, had no fear of tackling anything, and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Dad, like Simon, had a name changing experience with Christ. Like Peter, it mellowed him in his old age and, also like Peter, Dad never quite grew out of his old demeanor.

Simon was introduced to Jesus by his brother, Andrew. Before Andrew could complete the introduction, Jesus spoke directly to Simon. Then, Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John–but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). (John 1:42) Peter means Rock, and he became a strong pillar of the early church. Peter’s ministry is highlighted in the first twelve chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. Saul, who becomes Paul, dominates the last sixteen chapters.

Peter as leader of church

As you read Acts, you see that Peter accomplished a lot for the Kingdom of God: miracles, raising the dead, foretelling deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, casting out demons, preaching the first sermon to the Gentiles, leading the church at Jerusalem, traveling as an evangelist, and being delivered from prison by an angel of God. Those shoes are difficult to fill, although many television preachers try to do just that today, costing modern Christians much more currency that those of Peter’s day.

peter denies Christ

But have you ever looked at all the failures, guilt, shame, humiliation, and hardships that Peter had to experience before he became the leading Apostle of the early church?

And have you ever read how Peter died? (Upside down on a cross, as he didn’t feel worthy to die the same way as his Lord – in other words, he was still feeling the pain of his failures, even at his death)

 

  • Peter fails to continue to walk on water. Matthew 14:31
  • Peter is in the midst of arguing over who is the greatest of the disciples. Mark 10:35
  • Peter takes Jesus aside and attacks the intentions of Jesus to die on a cross. Mark 9:33-34
  • Peter interrupts Jesus communicating with Moses and Elijah on the Mt. of Transfiguration. Matthew 17:17
  • Peter speaks for Jesus regarding the temple tax, overstepping his authority and failing to respect his Lord. Matthew 17:24
  • Peter worries about his sacrifice for the Kingdom of God, asking “What is in it for me?” Matthew 19:27
  • Peter resists Jesus’ attempt to wash his feet. John 13:8
  • Peter falls asleep in Gethsemane while Jesus is praying the most intense prayer of His earthly life, and when Jesus needs Peter as His friend to pray with Him the most. Matthew 26:40
  • Peter publicly denies Jesus three times for fear that he too will be crucified. Matthew 26:72, 74
  • Peter is overwhelmed with his sin and ‘quits’ being an Apostle, and goes back to fishing. John 21:3

Peter failed in many things, due to his impetuous personality. He did his best to apply what he had learned as a fisherman to being a disciple and an apostle, which was all good, except he never learned to fully surrender his self-seeking will to the will of his Lord.

Have you looked at the response of Jesus to all of Peter’s failings?

Gentleness, patience, longsuffering, love, and assurance that He, as Peter’s Lord and High Priest, had prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail, and that He still wanted Peter to shepherd His sheep. (David said God’s gentleness with him is what made him a great man)

Jesus love for Peter

Jesus was teaching Peter, and you and me, that it is alright to fail. Failure teaches us humility. Humility teaches us respect for God’s gentle help when we need it the most.

The devil sifted Peter like wheat is threshed, leaving nothing but a shell of a man. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” John 21:15 (Jesus asked Peter to affirm his love for Him three times, once for each time Peter had denied Him)

Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Jesus did not pray that Peter would not fail.

You can fail without your faith failing you!

You can lose your ship without losing your soul!

Jesus saw the heart of Peter and knew that Peter loved Him more than anything else, and that Peter would even one day die upside down on a cross for Him. He didn’t pray that His Father would keep Peter from all of these failures and that horrible death. In fact Jesus didn’t pray that way for you and I either! Look at John 17:15.

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

This prayer was for you and me and all who will believe on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and their personal Lord and Savior! It does not ask to take us out of this evil world. It asks that we be kept during our sojourn in this evil world. In the world we will have failures, tribulations, but in the middle of all it, Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, promised that He would never leave us until He returns for us, and that while we are failing and suffering, we will FEEL His Peace in the depths of our souls and hearts!

I am with you always

So while you and I look back over our lives, and  the devil whispers how we have failed so many things, and others pick apart that which we have done right, mediate on Apostle Peter and how your Lord Jesus Christ reacted to his failings and used them to draw Peter even closer to Him, in a deeper love for Him, that would cause Peter to say, “I’ve learned my lesson. I need you every hour, every minute of every day. I can do nothing in my self-will but fail. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can allow God to use the evil to bring Him glory and me good. I can choose to die for Him instead of running and hiding behind closed doors.

It is possible to fail and not have our faith fail us. It is possible to lose our ships without losing our souls!

it is well with my soul

 

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