Bob Goff is one of my favorite authors. I was introduced to his work while in high school; our Youth Director, Amy Givens, led us in the study of Goff’s book, Love Does. Recently, I started reading his book, Dream Big. In the introduction, Goff says that the advice to never change, is some of the worst advice he has ever received. He states that we are supposed to constantly be changing into kinder, humbler, and more faithful people. Of course, with change comes the risk of failure. In fact, there are often many mistakes along the path of change.
As people learn new things, experience different activities, and grow into deeper faith, they will naturally fail at times. Most often the problem is not the mistake itself, but rather focusing on it. Guilt about sin can stop us in our tracks when we’re supposed to be going and growing forward. Our measure as Christians is not based on how many times we fail or fall short of the glory of God. God’s love for us isn’t conditional on if we never sin. God loves us whatever we do – whether we do right, wrong, or nothing at all. It is misleading to think that doing nothing is the safest bet, it is the most counter-productive thing we can do to leading the life that we’ve been created for. We will always face changing circumstances around us; it’s important we know how to navigate change in ways that are healthy for us and others. And we can’t do that if we’re constantly held fast by our past failures.
As a college student, I have faced lots of change, from the day I moved into the dorm and attended my first class to living through how the global pandemic brought about virtual classrooms. In almost two years of college, I’ve made my share of mistakes. But those failures can become distractions to my purpose. I’m a perfectionist and in the past I really struggled over failure. I would feel terrible at not achieving the time I wanted in cross country, or getting a grade I didn’t want on a test, or having a hectic schedule that didn’t seem to allow for everything I wanted to accomplish. It was easy to slip into a place where I didn’t feel good about myself. I would believe that God didn’t feel good about me, either. But, the reality is that God loves us no matter what.
Whether we win gold or never even make the podium, God’s love is everlasting. Feeling ashamed of your mistakes holds you back from learning from them and moving forward. This Lenten season, do not focus on your failures, but instead look at how you can improve yourself through change. We are called to follow Christ; His love will see us through.
Brooks Lambert, St. Luke’s Ministry Intern
