By Pastora Monique Lopez Ong
Everybody is flawed. There are so many things that you need to change. You have to be patient with everybody, even in church. They are all a work in progress. Failure is not necessarily bad. Failure can actually be your friend.
So many things nowadays are a result of mistakes. Richard James, a naval engineer, wanted to develop a spring that will be used to stabilize a part of a ship. In the process, he developed what is now called the slinky. It accidentally slipped out of the table and jumped around on its own. He had a light bulb moment and thought it could be a nice toy. The slinky was first sold in 1947 and up to now, it is still being played with by kids all over the world. The chocolate chip cookie was also the result of a mistake. Ruth Wakefield, the owner of an inn in the United States wanted to make a chocolate cookie. She ran out of ingredients and chopped up a block of Nestle chocolate and the chocolate cookie was invented. There was a customer in New York who complained that the potatoes he was eating was too soggy and thick. The chef was insulted and irately chopped up a potato very thinly, fried it and served it to the complaining customer. The potato chip has now become a popular snack and has sold more than a billion worldwide. The post it was a failed project that was supposed to be a heavy duty adhesive for the aerospace industry. But when it was made, it had to be strong enough to be brought into space. Since it was a failed project, it was made into a business. Lastly, the German scientist William Conrad Reontgen wanted to make a light bulb. In 1895, he was experimenting using cathode ray tubes but while it was in a cardboard box, he noticed that the light was stopping and there was a solid mass being marked inside. That was the beginning of the x-ray. All of these were mistakes.
It is ok to make a mistake. Just because you made a mistake does not mean that you are hopeless. It is just the beginning.
Walang tapon kay Lord.
Romans 8:28 says, ”And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“ God used so many imperfect people for His kingdom.
Abraham was old.
Elijah was suicidal.
Joseph was abused.
Job went bankrupt.
Moses had a speech problem.
Gideon was afraid.
Samson was a womanizer.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Samaritan Woman was divorced.
The Disciples fell asleep while praying.
Noah was a Drunk.
Jeremiah was young.
Jacob was a cheater.
David was a murderer.
Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow.
Peter denied Christ three times
Martha worried about everything.
Zacchaeus was small and money hungry.
Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians.
These people were all imperfect but God used them mightily for His kingdom. The goal is to try to work the best you can. But if not, God works best in your weakness. He can work in ordinary people. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, ”But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“ If God wants to use you, He will make a way.
With your flaws, God gets all the glory. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says, ”Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.“ When you feel like you are just an ordinary Christian, God makes you extraordinary.
When you face a big challenge, think about what is in your hands? You can say you have nothing. David has 5 stones and he killed a giant. Samson had a jawbone and he killed thousands of Philistines. Moses had a rod in his hand and performed many miracles. The little boy had only 5 loaves and 2 fish but he was able to feed 5,000.
What is in your hands? It is not about you; it is about God. Give everything to God and He will provide for you. Acts 4:13 says, ”When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.“
If you are with Jesus, you will do the unthinkable.
Do not give up. Phil. 1:6 says, ”being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God is doing something good in your life. He is not yet done.
If you fall, get up and start again. Proverbs 25:16 says, ”for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.“ Matthew 19:26 says, ”Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” If you are not on the right track, God will reroute you back. He has His own positioning system.
Reap the blessing. James 1:12 says, ”Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.“ At the proper time, you will reap what you sow. Everything in your life mifht be going wrong right now but God is not done with you yet.
Can you imagine if Joseph gave up? His life is ordinary. His brothers left him, lied that he was dead, and Joseph was enslaved in the household of potiphar. The latter’s wife accused him of a wrong deed, he was improsoned - but still he was blessed in prison and became warden. In all those things, he never gave up. You might be hitting the slippery slopes but you will jever know if it is your launching pad if you give up easily.
It is the same with David. He was just a lowly shepherd boy.
God will make it happen at the right time. Hold on to His promise because you do not want to miss out. Blessing is coming. You are already blessed but there is more to come. Those who stay and look forward will receive the hand of God.