Failures make a greater you

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:13,14).   It is not so much your past that counts, but your determination for a better future.  Paul had a past that could have tormented and condemned him forever.  He called himself the chief of all sinners who was a murderer, a blasphemer, and a persecutor of Christians.  Yet our Almighty God and King of Glory got a hold of Paul's life and he became one of His Great Apostles.    One of God's names, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8). This describes the eternal God with you to help you turn failures in opportunities.   1) God 'who is'. God in your life is current and ever-present. He is never surprized and is now alive in you. 2) God 'who was'. God was with you when you failed and will use it as lessons of life, to keep you humble, and to make it powerful as you share with others who will: learn like you from your mistake; laugh with you as you laugh at yourself; and feel better knowing that failure is only a stepping stone for greater success. The blood of Jesus forgives your sin and will erase it from your life history in heaven.  3) God 'who is to come'. God is in your future before you get there and He sees you according to His plan for you, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a (bright) future." (Jeremiah 29:11).   Step out of failure and shake it off, learn from it, and step into your future as a greater you.   Kingdom Declaration: I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me in Christ Jesus.   Read the Bible in One Year: Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4. @Dr Pat Francis @chayil$