If you've ever failed at one point, you would know how crippling the thought of being a disappointment to someone is. We don't like disappointing others and ourselves. And most certainly we don't like being a disappointment to God.
As a result, we hide and sometimes deny our failures and weaknesses, thinking that it would be the end of us if they were to be found.
That's what Adam and Eve did in the garden after failing God: They hid from Him.
When you fail God, what is your natural response? If you're anything like me (whether you admit it or not) or some other people, you would probably do the same thing that Adam and Eve did.
Another story in the Bible is that of the prodigal son who failed his father, other loved ones, and even his own self. The thought of coming back to his household was a struggle. Why? Because shame causes us to believe that we are no longer welcome in the presence of those whom we have failed.
We've all failed God, whether that's in sin or even when our failure isn't necessarily moral in nature.
But in our failure, we are to be reminded that God is not disappointed with us. Yes, we hurt him in some of our failures, and yes, we jeopardise His good, pleasing and perfect will every so often. But God invites us to come and draw near to Him anyway.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, " Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
He was not closed to the broken, rejected, and immoral. In fact, He went where the sick were, where the sinners were, and where the rejected were. Jesus didn't have a turnstile of moral obligation, but only open and nail-pierced hands to receive and restore all those who are weary, broken, and defeated.
God is not disappointed with you when you openly, faithfully, and humbly come to Him. He receives us not as slaves, but as sons and daughters (Galatians 4:7).
James 4:8 tells us, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
When we run back to our Father, He runs to us and gladly accepts us not as failures, but as those who have shared in the glorious victory in Christ.
God is not disappointed with you. Yes, He will cause you to change. Yes, He will want you cleansed of the presence of sin. Yes, He wants to redeem you, but He also wants to affirm you, receive you, and love you.
We can approach God not as disappointments, but as those with weaknesses that have been made perfect through Christ.
