Week 3 - Bearing Fruit: Character - Day 14 - Thursday

Written by Kelly Dagley
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you are going to fail at some things. There is no doubt about it; failure is unavoidable. Personally, I am the type of person that if I know I’m not going to do something well, I want to shy away from trying because I don’t like to fail. I have learned to go ahead and take the risk, but that tendency is still there.

As you begin using your skills in creating the Masterpiece of your Character, you are going to make mistakes. Think of it as practice not performance. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves if we think that once we begin this character work we will quickly be perfect examples of Christ. We can often be our own worst enemy when we make mistakes by dwelling on how we have failed God and those around us. When you make a mistake, take a cue from God- show yourself some grace and remember you are working alongside Him. Acknowledge that you have made a mistake, ask for forgiveness from God and any other offended party and then learn from it. Don’t let failure stop the work on your Masterpiece. If Michelangelo had let his failures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling stop him, we wouldn’t have the glorious work it turned out to be.

Scripture:
• John 14:15-31- This passage is from the Last Supper. The disciples did not always understand Jesus and often failed Him. These are some of Jesus’ words of encouragement to them on the night before He is crucified.

Reflection:
• Have you failed at anything lately? How does that affect you?
• Is there anything in your life that you have stopped working on or practicing because of failure?

Practice:
• Are there any messages you send yourself when you fail? “I’m so stupid” or “there I go again.” I knew a woman who would say, “I just don’t deserve to live!” Why do we beat ourselves up? These messages are not from God. Here is an exercise to help you move past these messages. Prayerfully ask God to join you in these steps:
1. Identify one or two messages you might send yourself. (Ex: I’m a failure)
2. Then identify something that supports that thought- what makes this true? (Ex: I made a mistake)
3. Next, identify some evidence (and/or scripture/ biblical truth) that does not support that thought. (Ex: I succeed on many things)
4. Create some alternate statements based on the evidence that contradicts your original message. (I messed up once, but I most of the time I’m succeeding, or there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ)