Start Fresh Again in 2010

Start Fresh Again in 2010
John R. Petrilli

Thomas A. Edison logged thousands of hours in unsuccessful experiments until he finally discovered the wire filament technology that powers the incandescent light bulb. Speed skater Dan Jansen narrowly lost two bids for Olympic gold, but kept right on competing until he realized his dream with a gold-medal victory at Lillehammer, Norway. The list is endless of people who continued driving for their goal even in the face of bitter disappointment and repeated failure.

Failure is something we’re all familiar with. Whether it was an “F” on a report card, a broken promise, or a failed relationship, everyone experiences the heartbreak and embarrassment of missing the mark. While we sometimes get stuck in the miscues of the past, there’s actually a way to turn failure into success. For the believer, failure never has to be a dead end. The life of John Mark unfolds five principles that show us how failure, when properly handled, can become the back door to success.

LET’S START FRESH AGAIN IN 2010 BY REFUSING TO SEE FAILURE AS FINAL. Acts 13:13a

He was young and inexperienced, but he had so much going for him. The right upbringing (Acts 12:12), a heart to serve (Acts 12:25), and a golden opportunity to work with the very best in the business. I can almost hear the hometown crowd cheering on young John Mark as he marched off to the mission field with cousin Barnabas and the apostle Paul. They were headed for some rough spiritual terrain. Early on in the venture John Mark decided to bail. It must have been hard to face the folks back home as a missionary reject. Yet, somewhere deep down inside Mark wanted to make this right. That openness paid huge dividends as Barnabas later splintered off from Paul’s team and took Mark under his wing. We unnecessarily rob ourselves of a second chance if we put ourselves on the shelf prematurely. Our failures and false starts never catch God by surprise, and in time He can and will turn things completely around.

LET’S START FRESH AGAIN IN 2010 BY THOROUGHLY DEALING WITH THE ROOT CAUSE OF FAILURE. Acts 15:36-37

Once back in his hometown of Jerusalem, Mark had a lot of time to reflect on his sudden departure from the missionary team. Barnabas concluded that Mark still had potential for cross-cultural evangelism, and was willing to give the lad a second crack at ministry. Mark was more than ready for a second at-bat. It would appear that he’d evaluated the cause of his earlier withdrawal, and really wanted to give missionary work another shot. Fresh starts will be just that, a START, if we fail to deal with that which led to the failure. To skip this step only insures that we’ll repeat the same mistakes. If we have difficulty identifying what is tripping us up, perhaps a godly Christian counselor can render some valuable assistance with evaluating our situation. Having identified and resolved the root cause, we’re then free to move forward and begin making some real progress.

LET’S START FRESH AGAIN IN 2010 BY SURROUNDING OURSELVES WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN AND SUPPORT US. Acts 15:39 ; Acts 12:12

While we ourselves may feel we can make a comeback, this will not be true of everyone around us. In Mark’s case, the senior missionary on the team rejected his application to return to the field. Paul seemed to be a pretty black and white kind of guy. In his mind Mark blew it once already, and they couldn’t afford more of the same; he was out, period, end of story. But different people have different ways of looking at individuals and circumstances. Apparently Barnabas saw something in Mark that Paul completely missed. He believed in Mark enough to commit to helping him work through the issues that hampered his service to the Lord. Barnabas chose to get behind the young man and encourage him in his desire to serve God in ministry. Mark also enjoyed a close discipling relationship with the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:13). In addition to Barnabas and Peter, he was surrounded by family members and fellow believers who affirmed his gifts and calling. None of us lives on an island. We all need the support and encouragement that good friends can offer us. This is often the most crucial component in turning past failures into future successes. Pairing up with a mentor can be a great asset in charting a course of recovery and personal growth, as well as providing much needed encouragement and accountability. The objectivity and clarity a mentor provides is essential in seeing your way through the challenging road of recovery.

LET’S START FRESH AGAIN IN 2010 BY REGAINING OUR CREDIBILITY WITH THOSE WE PREVIOUSLY LET DOWN. Col. 4:10 ; Phile. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11

Failure never takes place in a vacuum. There’s always an impact on others. It seems that the closer we are to someone, the greater that impact is. The hometown gang was understandably disappointed by Mark’s initial withdrawal, and Paul was clearly perturbed by Mark’s desertion in the face of duty. But time, adjustments and growth on Mark’s part changed all that. In his letter to the Colossians Paul makes reference to Mark in very positive terms, and further describes him as a bona fide ministry partner in his letter to Philemon. Little by little Mark proved over time that he was a reliable and valuable co-laborer in the gospel, even earning the respect and appreciation from those who had written him off as a lost cause. By the end of his ministry Paul had become a firm believer in Mark’s capabilities and effectiveness in the cause of Christ, placing his complete trust in a man who he’d previously distrusted (2 Tim. 4:11). Once we’ve failed, we have to be prepared for the skepticism and distrust of some who had placed their confidence in us. Our job is to focus on being and doing those things that will gradually convince others that we’re for real. Like Paul, even our harshest critics will eventually have a change of heart as we consistently prove we have the mettle to get the job done.

LET’S START FRESH AGAIN IN 2010 BY REPLACING FAILED INITIATIVES WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS. Gospel of Mark

There are few things more tragic than seeing a great person fall, but there are fewer things more exciting than to see that same person rise up and make a complete comeback. Mark experienced both. He made the most of his second chance, and it earned him a spot in the starting lineup as a ministry assistant to his cousin Barnabas. Mark did so well in his rehab program that he became a “regular” on Barnabas’ missionary team. His progress was evident to everyone who knew and loved him. His development into a choice vessel wasn’t lost on God either. His diligence in making key midcourse corrections positioned him to be used by God in increasingly greater ways, with ever expanding ministry responsibilities. Indeed, the Lord selected him to be one of only four men who would enjoy the sacred privilege of writing a gospel, probably dictated to him by Peter. According to church tradition, Mark became a bishop and eventually gave his life for his Lord via martyrdom. Commentator Herbert Lockyer writes, “The main lessons to be learned from the life of Mark are apparent: 1) the blessings of a godly home, 2) much depends upon the choice of friends [Barnabas, Peter, Paul], 3) the possibilities of life [a widow’s son became an apostle and great historian], and 4) the reward for faithful service.”

When it comes to future possibilities, the sky is truly the limit. In some mysterious way the Lord takes our fumblings and bumblings and uses them to form us into trophies that magnify His saving and transforming grace. It’s always too early to give up. Make this the year that you give God a chance to work things out; and give yourself a chance to get it right the second time around! Happy New Year from all of us at the Good News Paper to all of you dear friends in our reading audience.