Raise your hand if you can think of any failures in your life.
A guy named C.S. Lewis had this to say about failures: “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”
If you really believe in Romans 8:28, you must also believe that God uses our failures.
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
By “all things,” Paul was including failures. While failures are not good, per se, they work together for good. The lesson here is not to just yawn at your next failure or to accept relapses in your sobriety. The lesson is to learn from your mistakes. That’s the only way they can work together for good.
Recovery Step: Think about your most recent slip or relapse, even if it was several years ago. What is one lesson you can take from that failure, which will serve you in the future?
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
