“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were illiterate and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

— Acts 4:13

Many people are rendered failures because they remember what they ought to forget and forget what they ought to remember. This is a tragic thing. We ought to forget those things that debilitate and keep us from reaching our greatest potential. The first among those is that we ought to forget our failures. I believe that the remembrance of our failures is Satan’s chain that he uses to bind us to the ground like some chained bird. We may desire at times to spread our wings and fly up into the sky and that chain jerks us back down to the ground.

“I’ve tried it before, and I failed.” “I tried to one time, and it did not work.” “I stood up to speak and forgot my lines.” “I can still remember them laughing.” “I didn’t do well in school. I failed the course.” “I failed in business.” “I failed in life.” “I can’t do it.” “I can’t.” “I can’t.”

The apostles had their own failings. Three times Peter had denied that he knew Jesus. John and his brother James sought to be so honored that they would sit on both sides of the Lord up in heaven. The Gospels record the failings of the apostles repeatedly. But after His resurrection and the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, now the apostles were bold changed men, so they forgot their failures and remembered God’s blessing. Be careful what you choose to remember and what you choose to forget.

Dear Lord Jesus, give me strength for today to remember Your blessings, the victories You have given me, however small or great, and to remember what is good. Help me to forget my failures and hurts. I lay these at the foot of the cross. Help me to leave them there…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
LEAVE OUR FAILURES BEHIND.