Failure is Ok

Recently, I just started reading a book by an author I have never read from before. The book is Awakening by Stovall Weems. It is about renewing and revolutionizing your relationship with God. A good amount of this book that talks about fasting. This is challenging for me because fasting for me has never been a strong suit for me. The longest fast I have ever done without food was for 5 days, the only reason I was able to do that was because I was fasting with about 60 other students as well and we spent all 5 days of the fast together and food just wasn't available. The obvious pressure of not wanting to look like a failure in front of everyone was what keep me in that particular fast. But as for any fasts that I have done or attempted on my own, I have rarely ever completed one. Just a one day fast without food is difficult for me. When I have attempted these fasts it was a rare occasion. I have always hated the thought of fasting, because I always knew I would end up failing.

As I was thinking about this today, I pondered all the different things that God has been teaching me lately. One thing especially, has been the reality for me that nothing I ever do or don't do will ever qualify me for salvation. My salvation and righteousness before God is only because of what Jesus has done for me. The only reason I am saved is because I chose to identify myself with the death and resurrection of Christ and call upon His name. One particular story in the bible that helped me grasp this was the story of when the Israelites were set free from Egypt. The last of the ten plagues that came upon everyone in Egypt was that the first-born of every household would be killed unless they marked their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. It wasn't anyones actions that caused them to be saved from this plague, but it was the blood of the sacrifice on their doorposts. This same principal applies to us in salvation. We are only saved by having the blood of Christ marking the doorposts of our hearts. Nothing I do or don't do, can save me but the blood of Christ.

With this reality, God was showing me that it's ok to fail. We will never be perfect on our own. The fact that Jesus died, gives us freedom to fail. We can boldly pursue spiritual things. If we fail at living for God perfectly thats ok, we are still saved. Jesus died so that we don't have to fear of failing anymore. Most often we don't endeavor in pursuing spiritual things is because we know we'll fail. But since Jesus died we have no reason to fear. Because of Jesus we can only grow more in Him. It is better to pursue spiritual things, such as fasting for me, and fail along the way and experience and know God, then to never do those things at all. So lets not put so much pressure on ourselves to perform for God. If we could live pleasing lives for God in our own strength, then how would God ever receive the glory? If it was ever at all possible for us to follow the old covenant of keeping the law, then why did Jesus die? Jesus paid it all for us and our salvation is free, so let us boldly pursue greater things and if we fail along the way, it's ok, lets get back up, that failure has not disqualified us.