Faithful on Fridays Blog

I love the quote from Winston Churchhill, “Success is measured by your ability to
maintain enthusiasm between failures.” Isn’t that true? We make mistakes in our marriages, with our kids, even in ministry. It’s all part of the plan. Those mistakes open us up to the restoration of God. No one knew that better than Peter. After his three-fold denial, when Jesus needed him the most, Peter caved. He was filled with grief, remorse, and guilt. Yet Jesus didn’t let him stay there. He experienced restoration and became the first leader of the Church. How encouraging is that!

Why do you suppose God let Peter go through so much sorrow? Could it be that the new believers coming to faith may have similar experiences? Could it be that believers of today, you and me, may experience grief, remorse, and guilt also? We do make mistakes and wish we hadn’t reacted the way we did; we would sure like to do it over again. The good news is that we don’t have to do it over again. As Peter shows us, there is restoration with God.

When you restore something, you bring it back to the original condition. An old car or an old piece of furniture; you rejuvenate it. God has His ways of renewing us also. He takes our anguish and our pain and brings us back to Himself through our repentance. He takes us from being ‘wounded warriors’ to being victorious overcomers. The key is repentance.

Repentance opens up a way back to God when we have fallen. It takes honesty; telling ourselves the truth. We were wrong. We missed the mark. We’re sorry. Repentance is good for the soul, so be transparent with God and admit where you are. He’ll take it from there.

God can use those wounding experiences to purify us and begin the healing but be aware; healing is a gradual process, it takes time. During the time of restoration He will give you glimpses of hope, slivers of light to keep you going. He’ll have the right people, at the right time, give you a word of encouragement. He won’t leave you alone to walk through this trial; He is right there alongside of you.

The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. (Isaiah 58:11 NLT)

The restoration in Peter’s life is the same for you. God has no partiality, no favorites, He is unchangeable. So whether it’s in your marriage, with your kids, at work, or at church, God is in the business of reestablishing relationships. Don’t leave the situation the way it is, begin the restoration process at the foot of the cross and walk back with God at your side.
If you know someone who needs to hear this message I encourage you to forward it to them. You may be that word of encouragement that they needed today.