Hello everyone! You have probably heard the adage “love never fails?” Love never does fail. We never waste our time or our energy when we love someone. Jesus never fails us either, even when life doesn’t look like what we thought it should in the moment or season. People, on the other hand, are a different thing entirely. People fail us. People choose to walk away from or even run from their problems. People choose to perpetuate evil. People choose not to love us. People choose to abuse us. People choose to take their own lives. People choose to hurt others. People choose to disagree. People choose not to be friends with us. People choose and make wrong choices. We live in a fallen world and people will fail us. Someone will fail you at some point in your life – you can count on that.
So what does this mean for me and you? This means that regardless of what other people do, whether they fail you or not, you keep doing what Jesus says it right. You keep doing what is good and just. You keep being love and showing love. You don’t let the opinion of someone who failed you nor their actions determine your course in life or how you see yourself. They made their choice and you have to make yours to keep moving. Does this mean that they can’t repent and come to you and apologize and work toward making things right with you? No, they certainly can repent and make things right with you. However, that does not mean you quit living your life if they choose not to. You are not responsible for their decisions or actions, only for your own. I can tell you that some people will seem like they failed you because they can’t go where you are going or they never intended to go with you in the first place. These things become apparent with time. Those are the people you will need to leave behind for your own sake and for the sake of your purpose and calling.
When someone fails us, we release them to Jesus. He is much better at working on their heart anyway. We release them and move on in the things He has for us to do. I will be the first to tell you I could have dried up and died after my late husband took his life. I chose not to because those were not my choices. He chose to take his life. He chose to not get help. He chose not to meet me and God half way to work on our marriage. In essence, he chose not to take any responsibility for his actions up to that point. I was not responsible for those choices neither were they going to determine the rest of my life for me. I am here to tell anyone who is dealing with relationship problems, your partner must be willing to meet God and you half way for things to change. We can’t change other people and we can’t stop them from failing us. We can only be responsible for our decisions in the relationship and to God for our part. The other partner must take their responsibility too. The other partner must deal with their heart issues as you must deal with yours. Jesus and love will never fail you, but your partner, family and friends might. If they do, it will not be the end of the world I assure you. As long as people live, they can change. If they choose not to change or repent, you have the opportunity to choose a different life for yourself – a better life. You release them. They don’t have the power to change you unless you let them. They certainly don’t have the power to change Jesus. Do you see what I’m getting at today? We can’t put all of our faith (our eggs) in the people basket. We have to put our faith in Jesus and in His love. There have been countless times in my life, not just my spouse, but others have failed me. It’s a good thing my identity is not wrapped up in those people! I’d be a miserable mess! Do you have your identity wrapped up in someone who has failed you? Who is your identity in, Jesus or someone or something else? I can assure you the only person who will not fail you and in Who your identity is safe is Jesus Christ. He will never fail us, even when good intentioned, loving people do. He will never fail, not ever!
If you take nothing else from this blog today, please take this: when people fail us (and they inevitably will) Jesus will never fail us. He will never stop loving us. He will never stop caring for us and He will never stop wanting the best of us. He will teach us how to love even when we have been wronged. He will teach us how to walk away when we are being harmed. He will walk with us and redeem the lost time. I am seeing this in my own life today and you can too! I can’t say it enough, Jesus never fails! Love never fails. His love has already won! With much love, Elizabeth