Three Things Jesus Does When You Fail

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Failure can be isolating. When I'm in the middle of a failure, I often feel ashamed and just want to be alone. But Jesus is with me always, even in my greatest failure.

To help me through my failures, Jesus does three incredible things:

Jesus prays for me. Even before Peter had failed, Jesus told him, “I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail” (Luke 22:32 NASB).

Even at this very moment, Jesus is interceding—praying—for me. The Bible says, “He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Hebrews 7:25 NLT).

Jesus believes in me. In fact, he expects me to heal and recover. That’s why he told Peter before his big failure, “When you have repented and turned to me again . . .” (Luke 22:32 NLT). Jesus knew Peter would sin and fail and eventually come back to him.

The truth is that we all fail, and we fail repeatedly. My biggest weaknesses are often habitual. I don’t just do them one time and that’s it. But God isn’t only there for the big, one-time failure. He’s there for the mistakes I make over and over again. Though I fail repeatedly, God will always believe in me.

Jesus shows me mercy. Jesus is more willing to show mercy than I'm willing to ask for it. When I'm down, Jesus doesn’t beat me up or add to my guilt. Instead, he saves me.

In John 21, not long after Peter had denied Jesus, Peter and some other disciples went fishing. Though they fished all night, they caught nothing. At dawn, Jesus called to them from the shore and told them where to throw their nets. “So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it” (John 21:6 NLT). 

When Peter followed Jesus’ instructions, he caught more fish than he could possibly handle. Jesus is ready to do the same for me. He can do more in five minutes than I can do in 50 years of planning.

Here’s more good news: God’s mercy toward me is not dependent on my performance. The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (ESV).

I may give up on God, but he’s never going to give up on me. Jesus is praying for me, believes in me, and will always show me mercy. No matter what I do, God is faithful.

In summary:

This passage shifts the perspective on personal failure from a source of isolation and shame to a catalyst for divine intercession and restoration. By examining the relationship between Jesus and Peter, I see that Christ anticipates my stumbles, proactively prays for my resilience, and maintains a belief in my potential for recovery that far exceeds my own self-confidence. The primary message is that God’s faithfulness is not a reaction to my performance, but a permanent attribute of His character; His mercies are intentionally renewed every morning to ensure that no habitual struggle or singular collapse has the final word in my life.

Bottom Line:

My failures do not exhaust God's mercy; they invite His intercession and provide a platform for His unwavering faithfulness to sustain me.

Next Step:

Practice identity alignment by replacing your "shame-driven isolation" with a "morning mercy reset." Instead of carrying yesterday’s guilt into today’s tasks, spend the first five minutes of my morning explicitly acknowledging that today’s supply of mercy is brand new and independent of yesterday’s performance. This disciplined mental shift moves me from a state of self-condemnation to a state of receptive cooperation with the One who is already interceding for my success.

 

What Are You Doing With What You’ve Been Given

“Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.” 1 Peter 4:10 (GNT)

Do I know what purpose God created me for? Do I know what my destiny is? Part of understanding my purpose is recognizing the gifts God has given me to use.

These gifts are part of the cards I've been dealt in life. They include the things I can’t control, like who my parents were, where I was born, and my background. They also include my SHAPE—my spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make me uniquely me.

I'm responsible for making the most of these God-given gifts. But I'm not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give me. In other words, if I am not artistically gifted, I am not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. If I'm not mechanically minded, God likely won’t call me to bless my elderly neighbor with oil changes.

But God does expect me to use my own gifts for the good of others: “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God” (1 Peter 4:10 GNT).

When I get to heaven, God isn’t going to compare me with anyone else, but he will compare me with myself. What did I do with what I was given? What could I have done if I had trusted God a little bit more? Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (NIV).

The Old Testament tells the story of Esther, a Hebrew woman who became queen and rescued her people. She had three assets that God gave her to fulfill her destiny. She was intelligent, was physically beautiful, and had an engaging personality. Because of these qualities, “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. . . . She won [the king’s] favor and approval . . . So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:15, 17 NIV).

God gave Esther specific gifts for a purpose. In the same way, God has given me gifts for a purpose. And just like Esther, I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts—not for selfish uses but for the good of others.

God used Esther’s gifts to save the Hebrew people from a potentially murderous king. How might God use my gifts to benefit others?

In summary:

Discovering God’s purpose for my life begins with recognizing and stewarding the unique gifts he has given me—my background, spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (our SHAPE). I am not responsible for gifts I don’t have, but I am accountable for how faithfully I use the ones I do have for the good of others. God will not compare me to anyone else; instead, he will ask me what I did with what I was given. Like Esther, whose specific gifts positioned her to fulfill God’s purpose and bless others, each of us has been entrusted with gifts meant to serve beyond ourselves. The true measure of faithfulness is not talent or comparison, but stewardship—using what God has placed in my hands to benefit others and honor him.

Bottom Line:

I am responsible for faithfully using the gifts God has given me—not to compare myself to others, but to serve others and fulfill the purpose he uniquely designed for me.

Next Steps:

Identify one specific gift God has given and intentionally use it this week to serve someone else, trusting that obedience with what I/we have is how God advances our/my purpose.

Faith Built on God’s Track Record

“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.” Psalm 105:2 (GNT)

Sometimes in life, I don’t realize God is all I need until God is all I have—and that’s exactly what he wants me to learn.

When I experience pain and feel weak and defeated, when I think I have no support and are afraid I'm going under, that’s when God’s strength shows up best. The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “Each time [the Lord] said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

Have I ever thanked God for the fact that, while other people and circumstances are working against me, he is working in me to make me more like him and to show off his strength and power?

God says in Psalm 50:23, “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (NLT).

I can learn to be more thankful today by remembering what God has done for me in the past. When I take time to remember what he has brought me through and how he’s provided for me, it’s like a sacrifice to him. It honors him when I stop and thank him for his past grace.

Even if I'm are experiencing hardship right now, I can still thank God for what he has done.

“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done” (Psalm 105:2 GNT).

What wonderful things has God done for me in the past? How has he shown his glory in my life by using my pain for good? How have I become more like him through the changes in my life? How can I honor him today with a sacrifice of praise?

I need to take some time to write down one story of God’s faithfulness to me. Maybe it was a time when people from the church or your small group showed up for me. Maybe it was when I had to give something up but learned how to sacrifice in faith. Maybe it was a transformative experience as I served other people. Or maybe it was a quiet moment, a lesson learned, or a decision made.

As I remember what God has done in the past, I'll understand better why he is all I need today, and I'll thank him even more for it.

In summary:

When life strips away my strength and support, I often discover that God is truly all I need—and it’s in those moments of weakness that His power shines brightest. Scripture teaches that giving thanks honors God, especially when I remember how He has faithfully carried me through past challenges and used my pain to shape me into Christlikeness. Even in hardship, I can offer a sacrifice of praise by recalling and telling the wonderful things He has done, just as Psalm 105:2 encourages (“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.”. By taking time to reflect on specific moments of God’s faithfulness, I grow in gratitude, deepen my trust, and recognize more clearly that He is enough for whatever I face today.

Bottom line:

Remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens my confidence in Him today—because His power shows up best when I am weak.

Next step:

Write down one specific story of God’s faithfulness in my life—something He brought me through—and thank Him for it in prayer.

Finding Hope in a Broken World

“The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him.” Lamentations 3:25 (CEV)

We live on a broken planet, with natural disasters, physical decay, and death. There’s emotional distress and disappointment, distance and discord in relationships, and spiritual discontent and darkness. It’s no wonder why there is an epidemic of hopelessness in our world. I would feel hopeless too if I thought this broken place was the end of the story—but it’s not. There’s good news!

How can I be happy in a world full of pain and suffering and sorrow? How can I be happy when I deeply and personally feel the effects of broken bodies, broken relationships, and broken hope? 

Do what Jeremiah did. Jeremiah was a prophet who experienced plenty of suffering and disappointment. He wrote the book of Lamentations, where he gives his testimony:

“I cannot find peace or remember happiness. . . . Thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!’ The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him” (Lamentations 3:17, 19-25 CEV).

The key to happiness in a broken, messed up, damaged world is ultimately this: The Lord is all I need.

So I shouldn't put my trust in people, because they can let me down. I shouldn't put my trust in circumstances, because they can disappoint me. I shouldn't put my trust in the things of this world, because they won’t last.

Instead put your trust in God. Remember his promises to me in his Word and his faithfulness to me in the past. Then I'll be able to trust in his unfailing kindness for my future. I'll be able to obey him with joy and say with confidence, “The Lord is all I need. I can depend on him!”

In summary: 

In a broken world filled with pain, disappointment, and hopelessness, the key to true peace and joy is trusting in God’s unfailing kindness. Like Jeremiah, who poured out his struggles in Lamentations yet found hope in God’s mercy and faithfulness, we are reminded that people, circumstances, and things will fail us—but the Lord never does. His kindness and mercy are new every morning, and when I choose to trust and obey Him, we can confidently say, “The Lord is all I need; I can depend on Him.”

Bottom LIne: 

In a broken world, true hope and lasting peace come only from trusting in God’s unfailing kindness and depending on Him each day.

Based on this, my next wisest step is to pause and recall a specific moment when God has been faithful to you in the past—write it down, thank Him for it, and let that memory fuel my trust and obedience today. 

Purpose Doesn’t Retire

“Now here I am, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago.” Joshua 14:10-12 (NCV)

It’s never too late to follow God’s calling on your life.

After Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land, they returned and reported that the land was too hard a place for God’s people to settle. And because of their unbelief, the Israelites wandered around in the desert for another 40 years. An entire generation died because they did not believe in God’s promises. But Caleb and Joshua believed, so they got to live. 

When the Israelites returned to the Promised Land 40 years later, Caleb said, “Now here I am, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago” (Joshua 14:10-12 NCV).

“Give me the mountain country”—I love that! The land Caleb wanted was full of giants and cities fortified with great walls. He was essentially saying to God, “Give me the biggest assignment. Give me the hardest city. Give me the place with the biggest giants. Give me the mountain regions. I don’t want some easy place. I know I’m 85 years old, but I’ve still got it in me to do great things for you.”

In the greeting card section of a store, they have an entire section that offers birthday cards for the 80th, 85th, 90th, 95th, and even 100th birthdays! Growing up, I don't remember seeing those kinds of cards, because most people didn’t live that long. But now, life expectancy is much higher.

As an older adult, many may think it’s time to hang it up. But what I'm learning is that it’s time to get it down and dust it off! Do I think God is going to let me live 30 more years just to play golf?

Here’s a word that’s not in the Bible: retirement. While I may stop working I will keep serving the Lord. I have more wisdom and experience now than when I was younger, and God is not going to waste that.

At the age of 85, Caleb began the greatest mission of his life. Moses was 80 when God called him to set God’s people free. Abraham was 79 when he received God’s call.

With me getting closer to the the Caleb generation, I'm finding that it’s never too late to start on my life calling. The best is yet to come!

In summary:

Caleb’s story in Joshua 14:10–12 is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to step into God’s calling. At 85 years old, he boldly declared he was just as strong and ready as ever to take on the most difficult challenges—the mountain country filled with giants—because he believed in God’s promise. While others gave up or settled, Caleb pressed forward with faith, proving that age is not a barrier to purpose. Like Caleb, I’m realizing that growing older doesn’t mean slowing down spiritually—it means stepping into greater wisdom, strength, and impact. Retirement from a job may come, but there’s no retirement from serving God. The best is not behind me—it’s ahead.

Bottom Line:

It’s never too late to pursue God’s calling—no matter your age, your strength and purpose are still alive when your faith is strong.

The Safest Place for My Worries and Concerns

“I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.”

2 Timothy 1:12 (NLT)

When I've got something that’s precious to me, whether it’s rare, expensive, or an heirloom, and I don’t want it to be stolen, broken, or burned up, I might take it to the bank and entrust it to the protection of a safety deposit box.

But whatever I entrust to God is safer than the most secure bank vault. He will take care of it—I can count on it. He has a perfect track record. Other people may not have a consistent track record of taking care of things for me. But whatever I entrust to God, he will take care of. 

So what do I need to entrust to God today? It’s whatever I'm worrying or concerned about. Whatever’s keeping me up at night or that occupies my thoughts, I need to entrust it to the safety deposit box of God’s love.

Worry is practical atheism because it’s acting like I don’t have a Father in heaven who loves me and who can be trusted; it’s like I'm a spiritual orphan. Worry is unbelief; it’s saying I don’t believe the thousands of promises God made in the Bible.

For most people, it’s not easy to place things in God’s safety deposit box when they’re in pain. It’s hard to trust anyone when we're suffering, even God. I just want to pull back and hold on to it myself.

Paul knew this, but he also knew that when we are in pain, that’s when we need to trust God the most. He said, “I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return” (2 Timothy 1:12 NLT).

Personally I have a hard time and can struggle with keeping commitments. I will mess up! Thankfully, my salvation doesn’t depend on my ability to keep a commitment. It’s based on Christ keeping his promise and taking care of what I've committed to him.

In Summary:

When I entrust something to God—whether it's my worries, pain, or future—it's safer than the most secure vault, because God is faithful and trustworthy. Like Paul, who confidently trusted God even while suffering in prison, I can place everything I care about into God’s hands, knowing He will guard it perfectly. Worrying is essentially doubting God's promises and acting as if I don’t have a loving Father who is capable of caring for me. Though it's hard to let go—especially in pain—trusting God with my concerns leads to peace, because my security doesn’t rest on my ability to keep commitments, but on Christ’s ability to keep His.

To Reach My Dream, I Need to Dare to Be Different

“Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” Genesis 6:9 (NLT)

If I want to fulfill my destiny—if I want to achieve my God-given dream, vision, or ambition—I must dare to be different from the culture.

Until I settle this, I'll never reach my dreams. I can’t fit in and be different or make a difference at the same time. I have to decide: “I’m willing to be different from the culture”—because the culture is headed one way, and God is heading another.

In Noah’s time, humanity hit rock bottom. It was morally bankrupt. 

Genesis 6:12 says, “God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt” (NLT).

Sound familiar? Genesis 6:5-6 adds, “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. . . . It broke his heart” (NLT). 

Just 10 generations into human history, the world was already consumed by sin and evil.

What’s the trend today? Is the world moving toward God or away from him? It’s clear—it’s moving away. Jesus warned: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day” (Luke 17:26 NLT).

Culture will only worsen as we approach Christ’s return.

Amid this darkness, God saw one bright spot: Noah. In The Message paraphrase, Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah” (MSG).

That phrase—“but Noah”—saved the world. Would God save the world because of my faithfulness? If God looked at today’s corruption, would he see a bright spot and say, “But Mark”?

Could God save the world through me?

Only two people have saved the world: Noah physically and Jesus spiritually. 

What set Noah apart? He wasn’t concerned with others’ opinions, approval, or trends. He dared to be different to fulfill his destiny—and so must I. If I blend in with the crowd, I can’t fulfill the calling God has placed on my life.

Great people march to a different beat. They’re unafraid to stand out. Remember this: I can only make a difference by being different.

This is what God desires: to look at your life and smile, saying, “That’s my child fulfilling their destiny.” Like Noah, live with integrity. Let your difference make a difference.

In summary:

It's important to stand apart from cultural norms to fulfill one’s God-given destiny. Using Noah as an example, it highlights how he remained righteous despite widespread corruption, earning God’s favor. The world in Noah’s time was morally bankrupt, much like today, and Jesus warned that history would repeat itself before His return. To make a difference, one must be willing to be different, resisting societal pressures and staying faithful to God’s calling. Ultimately, true impact for me will come from living with integrity and purpose, just as Noah did.

How God Tests Me and Then Blesses Me

In Luke 16:11-13 it says, “If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (CEV)

Faithful people are generous, even when they don’t have anything to give.

Anybody can be generous when they have a surplus. You can be generous with your time when you’ve got a lot of extra time. You can be generous with your money when you’ve got a lot of extra money. You can be generous with your energy when you’ve got extra energy to spend. It’s when you don’t have enough time for yourself, you don’t have enough energy for yourself, you don’t have enough money for yourself, you don’t have enough talent for yourself that God says, “This is a test. I’m watching you to see if you are generous. Will you be faithful, and will you trust me?”

Here are five principles in which God will test us and then bless us:

1. God gives to generous people.

God wants you to be generous, because he wants you to be like him. And obeying him will bring his blessing.

2. Obeying God’s vision will bring God’s provision.

If you do what God tells you to do, then God will bring along the resources you need at the right time. What he’s given you the vision for he will give you the provision for.

3. When you do all that God tells you to do, he does what you can’t do.

God often asks you to do the impossible to stretch your faith. When you give what little you have, God multiples it and makes up for it.

4. When you have a need, you sow a seed.

Whatever you need in your life, sow that as a seed, and it will come back to you.

5. There’s always a delay between sowing and reaping.

There is a season between planting and harvesting. What’s going on in the delay? It’s a test of your faith.

So, will I be faithful to give when I have little? Will I keep on doing the right thing? Will I do what God wants me to do, no matter the cost? When I am faithful in this, I will be amazed at how God will provide.

I like to think that I am generous with time, money and my abilities. However, for the most part God has blessed me with abundance, so I don’t think much about shortages. As I consider this, shortages occur more often with my time. When this happens I get frustrated, feel like I’m not doing what I can or annoyed that I don’t want to use what I have. I need to reconsider my mindset when this happens. I need to be open handed and give what God has entrusted me with. There are a lot of people who need to be cared for and brought to God. Some of my part in this is to be there for people who are having financial behavior struggles and difficulties. God has given me talent, time and a desire to help those people. I need to ask God to help me get and be around those individuals and allow me to help and not just wait for them to show up. 

The Little Things Count

In Luke 16:10 it says, “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones.” (GNT)

God uses little things to test my integrity. It’s not just the big things that count—even though that’s what the world wants me to focus on. But the Bible tells me that God is looking at the smallest details of my life to see if I am faithful to him.

This is true in every area of life, including leadership. It’s often thought that it’s the big things in life that create a leader. No! The big crises in life reveal leadership, but leadership is not built in the big things of life. It’s built in the details of life. That’s where integrity shows up—in the stuff that nobody sees, in the stuff behind the scenes, in the small, unseen, unspectacular choices of life where I do the right thing, even though nobody’s ever going to see it.

Faithfulness requires integrity, and God tests my integrity in the little things.

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones” (Luke 16:10 GNT). He’s saying my public blessing is determined by my private integrity.

Every time a politician has a scandal, I can always count on that person’s defenders to come out and say, “It really shouldn’t matter what their private life is like.” Have you ever heard that one? “It really shouldn’t matter what a person does in their private life. It doesn’t have anything to do with them as leaders.”

It has everything to do with them as leaders! Why? Because if a man lies to his wife, he’ll lie to his constituents. If a woman lies to her best friend, to whom she said, “Till death do us part,” she will cheat on us, voters! Count on it!

My public blessing as a leader comes because of private integrity that nobody ever sees. My public blessing as a person comes from your private integrity that nobody will ever see. God uses little things to test my integrity. And faithfulness in the small things will lead to blessings in ways only God can provide.

My integrity is often put on the line in money matters. God calls me to be honest even in small details I could easily ignore. Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if I am not trustworthy with my money here (no matter how much or little I have), I will be unfit to handle the vast riches of God's Kingdom. So I need to see that I maintain my integrity in all matters, whether big or small. 

How God Uses Tough Times

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 it says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”  (NLT)

I’m never a failure until I quit, and it’s always too soon to quit. God uses tough times to test my persistence.

The difference between faithful people and unfaithful people is that unfaithful people give up at the first sign of difficulty. Faithful people keep on keeping on.

Faithful people are determined. Faithful people are diligent. Faithful people are persistent. Faithful people don’t know how to quit. A little acorn becomes an oak tree because it refuses to give up.

God uses tough times to test my persistence.

When I go through tough times, remember this verse is for me: “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NLT).

God is more interested in what I’m becoming than what’s happening to me. He often allows trials, troubles, tribulations, and problems in life to teach me diligence, determination, and character. The problems I’m going through right now are a test of my faithfulness. The question is, will I continue to serve God even when life stinks?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV).

It is easy to lose heart and quit. I will face problems in my relationships and in my work that will cause me to think about giving up. Rather than quitting when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on experiencing the inner strength that came from the Holy Spirit. So I should not let fatigue, pain, or criticism force me off of the job. I need to renew my commitment to serving Christ. I shouldn't forsake my eternal reward because of the intensity of today's pain. My very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen me moment by moment. My troubles should not diminish my faith or disillusion me. I should realize that there is purpose in suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits: (1) They remind me of Christ's suffering for me; (2) they keep me from pride; (3) they cause me to look beyond this brief life; (4) they give me opportunities to prove my faith to others; and (5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. So I need to see my troubles as opportunities.