What If We Failed, part two

In our life group, we’re discussing “What If.” This week we talked about the relationship between failure and forgiveness, given that our group thinks failure should be a learning/growing experience in our lives and not just something to hide or avoid at all costs.

Toward the end of our discussion, we talked about one of my favorite themes … redemption. Specifically, how God redeems (makes something beautiful out of something ugly) our failures.

When we or others sin – when we fail, make a mistake, offend – we can either be held hostage by sin, or be freed by forgiveness.

When we don’t choose to forgive, we allow ourselves to be held hostage by sin, whether it’s our sin (for which we punish or berate ourselves) or someone else’s sin (for which we punish or reject them).

When someone sins against us (or when we are grieved by our own sin) we can respond either by focusing on the wrong which has been committed – how rotten, how unfair, how offensive – or by focusing on the opportunity for redemption – “the challenge to manifest God’s healing power.” I know I’ve mentioned this before: how in my own life I have gradually moved from a mindset of consequence (if you hurt me, I’ll unfriend you; if you cheat on me, I’ll divorce you) to a mindset of redemption (I – or we – will try to find the opportunity for redemption in our relationship), because I have experienced the amazing power of God making something beautiful out of something ugly. This is how much I believe in God’s redemptive power in our everyday lives: There is nothing he cannot redeem.

If there is a situation so bad he cannot bring something good out of something bad, then he is not God. Goodness does not really exist. Love has no power. Forgiveness does not matter.

And surely anyone who has experienced the life-changing effects of love and forgiveness and goodness know this is not true. Love changes everything. The power of love is infinite.

There is no offense love cannot redeem.

So, how will we choose to look at failure, our own and others? Yes, it can be serious. It can define relationships. It can change the course of our future. But what (or who) has the last word? Where does the story end?