Failure can either cripple us or propel us to greater heights. When we fail, we often are fearful to try again for fear of seeing history repeating itself. At other times, our feelings of incompetence and inadequacies hang over us depressingly.
Peter was a powerful example of someone who turned his failures into stepping stones. Jesus picked him up after he denied Him. What Jesus saw was not failure or betrayal; He saw the heart of gold that was in Peter. He saw what people could not see in the natural. He gave Peter the courage to try again in the midst of utter shame, which could have hampered him from moving on. The tenderness of Jesus melted Peter’s heart where no one could. In many ways, we may have gone through the Peter’s experience in our lifetime, we have a loving God who loves us too much to let go of us.