Thought for the week: Honour God by offering compassion, love, support and prayer
The past week has seen huge change in our land as the new Parliament has met for the first time with a new prime minister and a complete change of government. And there are renewed hopes for the future in so many quarters.
But of course, the success of the winners in the election inevitably means a sense of failure and real loss for others, perhaps even on a grand scale. Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to teach us about failure, for some of its greatest people failed dramatically.
Adam and Eve were in perfect communion with God each and every day, but succumbed dramatically to temptation, and we are still affected and afflicted by that. Noah is a prime example of a man who did great things for God but also had an epic failure in his life. (Genesis 9)
Abraham lied and said that his wife Sarah was his sister (Genesis 20 ) and tried to give himself an heir with Hagar rather than Sarah who was barren (Genesis 16). Moses killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2), David slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11). Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times on the night that He was betrayed (Luke 22).
As we face our own failures, these Bible stories make it clear that we are NOT condemned to be failures in God’s eyes. Failing does need not be a millstone around our necks that defines us for the rest of our lives, even if its effects can’t be undone. Healing and recovery are amongst God’s greatest gifts when we are weak and self-esteem is rock bottom.
Psalm 46 is crystal clear: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. And Romans 8.39 is unambiguous: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation – will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
The key Christian response is to call on the grace and mercy of God to help us work our way through the failure and the problem. That often involves asking the Lord for wisdom which He is ever ready to give if we but ask for it and seek it.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1.5). And when others fail, we can embrace them like the father who ran toward his prodigal son, for even in the worst of circumstances, there must be a time and place for comfort and an opportunity for forgiveness and restoration.
People fail. I fail. You fail. And governments fail. Wherever there is failure, rather than letting our first response be one of judgement and criticism, let’s honour God by offering our compassion, prayer and support instead. That is so much better.