Every believer will fail. Some failures involve spoken words that should never have left the mouth. Others involve neglected responsibilities, mismanaged finances, or seasons of discouragement that pull a person away from steady obedience. The difference between those who continue in fruitful service and those who remain down lies in how they respond when failure comes. In John 21, the risen Lord meets Simon Peter on the shore after the disciple’s public denials and shows the path of restoration. Pastor Léveillé examined this encounter to show that Jesus does not abandon those who have fallen. Instead, He calls them to face their failure, entrust themselves to Him, and follow Him again.
Face Your Failure Honestly
After the disciples had dined, Jesus addressed Peter directly. “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” Peter answered, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus replied, “Feed my lambs.” The same exchange occurred a second time. On the third occasion Peter was grieved, and he answered, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus then said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17).
Peter did not defend himself or shift blame toward the servant girl by the fire or the other disciples who had fled. He simply faced the weight of what he had done. Earlier he had declared, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). Now that bold claim stood exposed. Honest repentance names the gap between what a person says and what that person actually does. It refuses excuses and comparisons. Rosalind Goforth once overheard Chinese women correctly describe her harsh temper while she sat only a short distance away. Their assessment was accurate, and the recognition of that truth began a deeper honesty that affected her ministry for years. Failure must be named specifically if it is to be left behind.
Entrust Yourself to the Lord Who Knows You and Can Use You Again
Peter’s repeated answer, “Thou knowest that I love thee,” rested on a fact Jesus already possessed. The Lord had predicted the three denials before they occurred. He knew both the weakness and the genuine love that remained in Peter’s heart. No failure is hidden from Him, and no failure is so complete that He can no longer assign useful work. Forgiveness comes with a commission: “Feed my lambs” and “Feed my sheep.”
Jerry McCauley, after repeated imprisonments, was trusted by a Christian businessman with the care of an expensive yacht. That unexpected confidence broke his despair and led him, together with his wife, to open a mission on Water Street in New York. The same principle appears in the account of young men who confessed harmful viewing habits at a summer camp and then continued weekly video calls for mutual accountability. Bringing failure into the light with others who will walk alongside does not disqualify a person; it opens the way for the Lord who already knows the heart to restore and employ again. Some forms of failure may alter the sphere of service, yet the Lord remains able to use the repentant believer.
Follow Christ Personally
Jesus described the manner of Peter’s eventual death and then spoke two words: “Follow me” (John 21:18-19). He did not demand that Peter become instantly courageous by some sudden outward change. He simply called him to continue walking with Him. Transformation occurs as a person follows. Peter later listed virtues that include adding to brotherly affection the stronger love of charity, showing that the love he once expressed imperfectly grew as he obeyed the call to follow.
Thomas Bilney, an early English reformer, recanted under pressure and then returned to open-air preaching. Arrested a second time, he refused to deny the gospel and was burned in 1531. The path from shame to steadfastness was the same simple command: follow Christ. The upward way is not self-improvement or an attempt to outweigh past failure with impressive success. It is daily attention to the One who already knows the past, sees the heart, and holds the future.
Conclusion
Failure is common to every Christian. The response to failure determines whether a person remains down or continues in service. Jesus met Peter with questions that forced honest recognition, with the assurance that He already knew the love in Peter’s heart, and with the clear command to follow Him. The same Lord still takes believers at their lowest points, turns their eyes back upon Himself, and gives them work to do. Those who face failure without excuse, entrust themselves to the One who knows them fully, and obey the call to follow find that their lives remain useful for the glory of God.
