Does God use our failures for our good?
Yes. Scripture's own story is full of people whose worst hours God worked into something good: Joseph's betrayal, Peter's denial, Paul's thorn. The promise of Romans 8 is that God works all things, even our failures, for good for those who love Him, and the good He is working is our growth into the likeness of Christ.
This question arose from studying What happens when I sin after I've come to Christ? and Why does God allow suffering and evil?.
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What the Scripture says
God has done this before
Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, lied about it, and left him for dead; years later Joseph looked them in the eye and said, 'You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.' It is one of the most hopeful sentences in the Bible, and it is not a theory: it is what had actually happened in a real family, over decades.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him. Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt.
But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it. The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
The promise is wide, and the good is specific
Paul writes that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose: not that every event is good in itself, but that God works them all into His good. And the good is named: that we might be conformed to the image of His Son. The goal is not merely our happiness; it is our Christlikeness, and that is worth suffering for.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.
Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Our failures do not have the last word
Peter swore he would never deny Jesus, and then did it three times, in the very courtyard Jesus had warned him about. But Jesus had prayed for him: 'that your faith wouldn't fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.' The failure was real, and so was the grace. There is no condemnation for those in Christ, and confession brings cleansing.
The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Even our humbling is made to serve us
Paul was given 'a thorn in the flesh' to keep him humble, and he begged three times for it to be removed. God's answer was not an explanation; it was grace: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Paul then wrote that believers are pressed on every side, yet not crushed. The weakness we wish away is often the very place God's strength is seen.
By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;
Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
He weaves our falls into growth and usefulness
After the suffering, 1 Peter promises that the God of all grace himself perfects, establishes, strengthens, and settles us. The psalmist learned from his affliction, and Paul could say his imprisonment advanced the gospel. The failures are not the whole story, and they are not wasted: God works them into the character of Christ in us and into usefulness for His kingdom.
But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.
Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
Continue this trail
Where does temptation come from?→“Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.”What is the new heart that God promised?→“I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.”What does it mean to be a child of God?→“But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:”What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit?→“in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.”Can God's grace really cover my worst sins?→“The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”How do I share my faith with others?→“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:”What is the difference between testing and temptation?→“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”What is sanctification, and how does it happen?→“For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,”What is the difference between assurance and presumption?→“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”How do trials make us more like Christ?→“Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”Why should I keep enduring, if I can't lose my salvation?→“I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”Who can forgive sins?→“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—”What does the Bible mean by being 'holy'?→““Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.”What if I keep repeating the same sin?→“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”How does God actually change me?→“I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”How does being a child of God change how I live?→“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.”What role does prayer play in sharing the gospel?→“praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; that I may reveal it as I ought to speak.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
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