Is there a second chance?

'We cannot afford to fail' is something you hear from time to time, but many of the greatest leaders say quite the opposite.

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

(Sir Winston Churchill)

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

(Sir Winston Churchill)

Jack Welch is considered by many to be one of the greatest business leaders of modern times. When interviewed once about an experience earlier in his life he said this:

"I did accidentally blow up the plant, yes. I was about 25 and had been experimenting with a different mixture. There was an explosion.  I was scared stiff when I went to the manager.  But, he was mainly curious as to why I had done what I had done and what I had learnt from it.  'Would the process I was trying have worked,' is what interested him!  That real encouragement to get it right rather than a punishment did have a profound effect on me, yes."

Jesus' once predicted his disciples' failure to stand with him

  ²⁷ "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:

"'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'

   ²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

 ²⁹ Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."

   ³⁰ "Truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."

 ³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.  (Mark 14:27-31)

I sometimes wondered what I would have done if I had been Peter in this conversation.  I imagine that he really meant what he was saying about sticking by Jesus whatever, but Jesus is also really sure about the fact that Peter will deny him. Maybe Jesus is preparing him for failure.  Peter will go on to learn through this experience, in fact Jesus teaches him though it but the hard fact was that he had to go through it.

What is God teaching you at the moment?  Are you open to learning with him?  Pray about it.

Tim Norman

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 31:9-18, Leviticus 17:1-18:30, Mark 14:17-42