Fail Forward
Today's Verse:
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. ~Acts 12:25
Failure is an ominous word. When someone fails, they are not able to satisfactorily complete a task or responsibility. Failing in anything is embarrassing. It is the underlying cause for insecurity and doubts in one’s ability to perform. Everyone will face some kind of failure in their life. We must see failure as an opportunity to learn from our mistake. We must never see failing as the end of the line. This morning, we see the importance of failing forward. We see the life of a man named John Mark who rebounded from a hard failure.
We see John Mark and his role.
John Mark was a young man when he was enlisted to join the missionary team of Paul and Barnabas. He would be the helper to Paul and Barnabas. As a helper, he would be available to undertake any need that Paul and Barnabas had. He was what is known as “the second man.” He was the man in the shadows and background who took care of errands and detail work, thus allowing the man of God to have the ability to focus on his study, preaching, and the winning of souls. May the Lord raise up more second-man servants in our churches.
We see John Mark and his retreat.
I can imagine John Mark being very excited about serving with Paul and Barnabas. However, the rigor, risks, and reliance upon God on the first trip to Cyprus may have been much more involved than the young man anticipated. When he saw people reject the message of God and that it takes time to build a work, he felt an inadequacy about his role. We are told, “John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.” John retreated as a missionary. John abruptly parted ways with Paul and Barnabas. He said, “No more of this.” This was a darkened blemish on John’s missionary resume.
We see John Mark and his restoration.
A few years later, Barnabas and Paul got into a contentious debate about taking John Mark with them again. Paul was concerned about John’s reliability. Barnabas was concerned for his restoration. He became the reason that this dynamic duo parted ways with each other. However, Barnabas chose to bring John personally under his wings to nurture him back to spiritual effectiveness and usefulness. Before his execution, Paul wrote about John Mark in telling Timothy, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” John was successfully restored to fellowship and service. He failed years before, but he failed forward. He got up, confessed his sin, and got back in the mainstream of being a servant whom God could use.
We see John Mark and his record.
The last thing that we have on record about John Mark is that God used him to write the Gospel according to Mark. He gives us one of the four accounts concerning the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He portrays Jesus as the suffering servant to men. Interestingly, John resumed his role as a servant, but realized as a servant of God that suffering is part of our task. He studied the servant role of the Lord Jesus and realized that his model for serving needed to be the Lord and not himself.
Don’t let failure leave you on the sidelines. Get up, and go forward! Realize that there is another opportunity to live for God and be faithful. When you fail, fail forward!
Have a faithful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Job 40-42
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