Mistakes Do Not Limit God
Mistakes Do Not Limit God
Have you ever failed? I know the answer because of my own failures and because I have worked with thousands of people who have failed during my 43 years as a pastor. To the casual observer, many seem to have their act together but when you get behind their public face, you discover every person is a bit of a mess.
This is one reason the Bible contains so many stories of believers who failed and were still used by God in surprising ways. One case in point is John Mark, a young believer in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion. His mother, Mary, hosted one of the earliest churches in her home, and Mark grew up around famous leaders of the early church.
Once when Mark’s cousin Barnabas and the Apostle Paul were in Antioch the two collected money to help Christians in Jerusalem who were enduring a famine and brought those gifts to that church. Shortly afterward, the two invited Mark to join them on what is now called the first missionary journey; as recorded in Acts 12-13. During the trip, Mark abandoned his co-workers and unexpectedly returned to Jerusalem.
Paul believed the young man’s lack of perseverance disqualified him from joining them on their next mission trip. When Barnabas disagreed, the two went their separate ways: Paul was accompanied by a new co-worker, Silas, and Barnabas again took Mark.
Mark must have been humiliated by how his return home affected his teammates, and probably assumed his failure destroyed any chance of future ministry opportunities. Mark quitting was neither his finest hour nor his final chapter. However, neither Barnabas nor another famous apostle, Peter, gave up on the young man. Peter would even call Mark his son in 1 Peter 5:13. Many believe the great apostle told him the stories of Jesus which eventually became the book of Mark.
While others may write us off for our failures, God does not. Please do not allow your missteps to cloud your perspective and convince you God no longer has plans for you. Remember the words of Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (NLT)
God’s plan for Mark was always that he would write the second book of the New Testament. After his humiliation, the idea that God would use him in a significant way seemed unlikely. Though Mark and others may have believed he had messed up too badly to ever be used, God saw the potential in him which others did not. The same is true for us. I am convinced God wants to use you and me in ways that will amaze us. We must never assume our worst moments limit how God may use us in his future plans.