March 13 Thought for the day....overcoming failure

Have you ever had a time when things just went wrong? Maybe you had control over the situation, maybe not, but regardless you still felt responsible, felt like a failure. Timothy felt that way, so Paul encouraged him with this...

"Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 2:1

Timothy was the pastor of the most extensive church in the world at the time. The apostle John, Mary Jesus' mother, and many other key leaders attended his church. It had grown in significance but as Nero's persecution began many left the faith to save their lives and others began to rise against Timothy attempting to divide the church. It could not have seemed or felt worse for this pastor. If you think about how you feel as a parent when one of your children is hurt that is how pastors feel when some in their flock are wounded. Timothy was beaten up he felt like a failure, he needed a touch from God!

Paul says to young Timothy "be strong" the Greek understanding here is explosive power, like dynamite. Paul is saying to Timothy it is time to allow that explosive power loose in your life. You and I both know when you are down, struggling with depression, battling feeling like a failure it is nearly impossible to feel that way. Feeling like an overcomer doesn't come naturally especially when we have all the weight of feeling like a failure on us. It takes a supernatural move of God to get us to where we need to be!

The supernatural power is exactly what Paul stresses when he says "through the grace that God gives you." Grace isn't something we get because we deserve it because we are strong enough or good enough, grace is given to us freely because Jesus loves us and died for us. When we are down the devil kicks us when he can. He lies and says we need to be better, more faithful, more righteous. Paul is breaking those lies to young Timothy by saying, "Timothy get ready to be powerfully explosive, I understand what you are feeling but I need to remind you God loves you, Jesus died for you, and He will give you all you need right now to overcome. Just allow Him to love you and show you the way out!

If you are there right now or the next time you find yourself there, remember these words and allow the Lord to get you there!