Everyday Grace: God forgives failures, you should too

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:2-3 (NIV)

I enjoy cooking and it is one of the ways I pitch in around the house. I’m always up for trying new things, especially things my wife Jocelyn or the girls might want me to make.

A while ago, Jocelyn really enjoyed a black bean burger she ordered at a restaurant. She asked I could find a recipe to make at home. OK, moment of confession, I wasn’t looking forward to this adventure. Yet, out of love for my bride, I ventured into unchartered territory to make black bean burgers.

I found a recipe, followed it exactly, and was supposed to be able to put this thing on the grill. However, something was seriously wrong. What I had in the bowl resembled something with the consistency of gruel, not solid enough to sit on a grill. So I opted for a frying pan to cook the globs of black gooey paste I had created.

Needless to say, there are only two words I could use to describe the event, Papa Johns. That’s actually what I served for dinner that night.

Failure is a part of the human experience. We have all messed something up in life. I have experienced far greater failures than my inability to fashion an edible black bean burger.

When was the last time you learned to do something new? Odds are at first you failed.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship with someone at some point, you’ve messed something up, forgotten something or said something wrong. All of these things make us human, but the good news is these failures do not define who we are in the sight of God.

The Scriptures are clear we have all failed (sinned) and fallen short of God’s glory. But the amazing news is “while we are still sinners (failures), Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Yet, it gets better still. Paul says we have received the gift of being adopted into the household of God, as his children and not as a tag-along. (Ephesians 1:5)

This is grace in its truest sense; no matter how far we have fallen, God is there to pull us out of the pit and redeem us. Perhaps that’s why Psalm 40 is one of my favorites.

If you feel you have failed at something, from making black bean burgers to life itself, take comfort in this: Jesus is there to be your Papa Johns in your hour of need. I invite you to take a moment and thank God for the power of redemption, and that He can and will use even our worst failures to accomplish a bigger plan.

May the peace of God free you from the guilt and shame of past failures. God has forgiven you, maybe today you should do the same.

This story was originally published March 12, 2015 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Everyday Grace: God forgives failures, you should too."