Abraham is venerated as the father of faith, and rightfully so. But he went down to Egypt, became afraid that God wouldn’t protect him, and told them his wife, Sarah, was his sister. Yet Abraham is now known as a giant of faith.

Moses failed so badly he was exiled to the backside of the desert for 40 years after killing a man. But Moses became a type of Christ, leading those who were in slavery away from bondage.

Mark failed in the ministry. He failed so badly that Paul and Barnabas split up over him. But God redeemed Mark from his failure. Paul later said, “Send for Mark.” Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark. His failure was not final.

The Bible is filled with examples of those who experienced failure, but God used them in amazing ways. The world throws broken things away. God doesn’t use people until they are broken.

Your failure isn’t final because God has a plan for your redemption. His name is Jesus. The Bible teaches and life proves that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s holiness. The greatest success any person can experience is when he or she acknowledges that sin, and trusts in Jesus alone for eternal life.

– Mike Bronson is pastor at West Haven Baptist Church in Tonganoxie.