Keep moving Forward!

"Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee." Mark 16:7

John Maxwell in his fabulous book, Failing Forward, tells the story of aviation pioneer Dr. Samuel Langley. While we have all heard about the Wright brothers, it was Langley who was expected to put the first airplane in the sky. Langley, a respected scientist, was even funded by the U.S. War Department to develop the first piloted airplane. However, after failing to fly on two different occasions, he decided to give up on his passion to fly. A couple of days later, two uneducated, unknown, and unfunded brothers flew the first plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Sadly, what happened to Langley is often what happens to many of us. We allow failure to make us think we are a failure. Even though we really believe that our life has purpose, we tend to give up prematurely and miss out on what God had in mind for us. However, I want to tell you today that your failure does not have to be fatal nor final but it can be fruitful if you learn from it! That's the same lesson the apostle Peter learned in his own experience. For Peter had failed miserably in doing, what he previously said he would never do, by denying the Lord Jesus 3 times. But the scripture above teaches us that though Peter failed, God still had big plans for him that would enable him to keep moving forward. How can we keep moving forward?

1. Refuse to let your imperfections impair your impact. Many people never maximize their potential because they only focus on their flaws. They feel that it's too late to be used by God and seem to find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into self-pity. However, Peter's experience shows that you can still have a purposeful and purpose-filled future despite your past failures. Today we view Peter, not as a failure, but as one of the greatest apostles. If you are being haunted by the guilt of your past understand that God still has a purpose for your life!

2. Recognize that God wants you to move forward despite your failure. Some people never seem to progress past their failures. But you have to choose to move past your past and walk into a brand new future. That was the message for Peter as he was directed to meet Jesus in Galilee. It's also the message for us today- Keep moving forward!

Now I must admit that my title is not original with me. It was the magnificant motto of a character named Louis in the movie, Meet the Robinsons. After failing repeatedly as an inventor, instead of giving up, he refused to let failure get the best of him. In the end he kept moving forward to become a world-famous inventor. Imagine what would have happened if he had become paralyzed by failure? Imagine what would have happened if Peter had stayed stuck on his own failure. More importantly, what will happen to your destiny if you don't decide to move forward? My friend- Keep Moving Forward!

PEACE!