Recently, I was asked to write a contributing chapter to a book about prophecy. In my introductory remarks, I wanted to introduce the reader to the reality of my life in the Spirit. I wrote, “In this chapter, I have assembled some thoughts I hope will help you steward your prophetic life well. Most of these impressions and lessons were learned the hard way – through failure. In all the ups and downs of life and ministry, I have learned that redeemed failures can become the most cherished teachers.”

It can be hard to imagine how failure can be redeemed and become a cherished teacher when it is fresh, raw, and humiliating. In our pain, we try to ignore our failures and move on in an attempt to discover our strong points and linger in their illusion. That choice never produces good fruit. God has always done His best work in our weak and broken places if we embrace the responsibilities that go along with partnering with God in a redemptive work.

The older I get, the more meaningful the Lord’s words to Paul have become to me when I read how He addressed human frailty.   “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). If God’s supernatural power works best in our weakness, then our weakness becomes a learning environment where we are tutored by the Spirit how to encounter God’s grace and experience the power of His love. Don’t waste your failures.