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Failure
Need NOT Be Final
A little boy was walking
through his back yard, wearing his baseball cap, and holding a ball and
bat. He was talking to
himself. "I'm
the greatest hitter in the world!"
Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed.....
Strike one!
Undaunted, he picked up
the ball, threw it into the air and swung at it again – and missed.....
Strike
two!
He paused a moment to
examine the ball carefully. He
said to himself, "I'm the greatest hitter who ever lived!"
He threw the ball into the air, swung at it and missed it again.....
Strike three!
But rather than be
discouraged about "striking out," the boy jubilantly exclaimed, "WOW!
I'm the greatest PITCHER
in the world!" *
You and I can relate
very well to that little boy's experiences.
You and I have made mistakes in our past, "for all have sinned"
(Romans 3:23). Strike
one! You and I
continue to "fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23b).
Strike
two! We not only break
the law of God (1 John 3:4), but we also fail to do what we should – "Therefore,
to him who knows to do good and does NOT do it, to him it is sin" (James
4:17).
Strike
three!
But
thanks be to God, our failures need NOT
be final!
Because of His GREAT
love for us, God sent His Son to pay the price for our sins
(2 Corinthians
5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). He
forgives those who will: believe
in
Jesus (Acts 16:31), repent
of their
sins (Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men
(Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in the name of Christ (Acts 2:38).
He will continue to forgive those who will: continue to follow Him
– those who, when they "strike out," repent of their sin, confess it,
and ask God for forgiveness
(1 John 1:7-9).
Because of our sin, we
have ALL "struck out." But,
thanks to Jesus Christ, the "game" is not over.
As long as we're living, we STILL have the opportunity to accept God's
forgiveness on His terms. In
fact, as Allan Eldridge has stated…
"The ULTIMATE
FAILURE - is
failure to turn back to God in repentance, seeking His forgiveness."
We all will have our "strikes"
against us, but let's not fail to learn from them and allow them to be the
means whereby we come to God and make a fresh start.
Thank God that our failures need NOT be final.....
Thank God we can start
anew!
God bless you,
David
A. Sargent /
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*Adapted
from "Failure is Not Final," by Allan Eldridge
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