Finding Growth in Your Failures: Lessons from a Fisherman Named Peter

Let's talk about something we all experience but rarely want to discuss openly—failure.
If you're like me, you've had your share of failures. Some small, some significant, some that keep you awake at night. As a fellow human on this journey of life, I can promise you this: failure isn't just something that happens to you occasionally—it's an inevitable part of the human experience.

Think about it for a moment. What failures are you carrying right now? Maybe it's a project at work that didn't meet expectations. Perhaps it's a relationship that's struggling. Or maybe it's something deeply personal that you haven't shared with anyone.

Whatever your failure might be, here's an important life principle to consider: Failure is an opportunity to give up or grow up.

That's the crossroads we face whenever we fail. We can throw our hands up in despair and quit, or we can use the failure as preparation for something better in our future.

Consider Abraham Lincoln, whose resume of failure is quite remarkable:

• Lost his job at 22
• Defeated in his first political race at 23
• Failed in business at 24
• Lost his sweetheart at 26
• Had a nervous breakdown at 27
• Defeated repeatedly for various political offices
• Finally became President of the United States at 51

Historians believe Lincoln developed the character needed for his presidency through what he learned from his failures. As Winston Churchill aptly put it, "Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

To explore how we can find growth in our failures, I want to share the story of someone named Peter—a quick-tempered fisherman who became one of Jesus's closest disciples.
Peter was passionate and impulsive. On the night before Jesus was crucified, he boldly declared that he would never abandon Jesus, even if it meant dying alongside him. But Jesus responded with a prediction: "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me" (John 13:38).

Sure enough, after Jesus was arrested, Peter's courage faltered. When questioned by others, he denied knowing Jesus three times. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus's words and was overwhelmed with the pain of his failure.

But that's not where Peter's story ends.

After Jesus's resurrection, we find Peter back at his old job—fishing. It seems he had disqualified himself because of his failure and returned to what was comfortable and familiar. But Jesus wasn't finished with him.

In John 21, we read about a beautiful moment of restoration. Jesus appeared on the shore while Peter and some other disciples were fishing. After catching nothing all night, Jesus (whom they didn't recognize at first) suggested they cast their nets on the right side of the boat. When they did, they caught so many fish that they couldn't haul in the net.

When Peter realized it was Jesus, he didn't hesitate—he jumped into the water and swam to shore to meet him. After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him, mirroring the three denials. With each affirmative answer from Peter, Jesus commissioned him: "Feed my lambs... Take care of my sheep... Feed my sheep."

From Peter's story, we can learn four important principles about finding growth in our failures:

When we fail, especially at something closely tied to our identity, strong emotions are inevitable. The more closely we identify with the thing we failed at, the greater we'll feel the loss.

Research suggests that the hardest failures for men often involve career and job performance, while for women, relationship failures tend to hit hardest. This makes sense—we feel the deepest pain when we fail at what matters most to us.

The key isn't to avoid these emotions but to work through them while focusing on the future. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13, "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."

Don't get stuck in shock, fear, anger, blame, shame, or despair. Move toward acceptance. Remember, you don't have to stay where you are. Jesus understands your weakness—"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

When storms and failures come, we face a choice: will we let them push us away from God or pull us toward Him?

Initially, Peter distanced himself from Jesus after his failure. But eventually, he ran—literally swam—back to Jesus. We have that same choice.

Are there any failures in your life preventing you from drawing closer to God? Don't run away at the very time you should be running toward Him.

Remember Deuteronomy 31:6: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." God is constant—we are the fickle ones.

To grow from failure, we need to understand why we failed. For Peter, pride was a significant factor. He boasted that he would never forsake Jesus, overestimating his own strength.

After his failure, Peter learned humility. This is evident in the exchange between Jesus and Peter on the shore. When Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" he used the Greek word "agape," signifying the highest form of love—unconditional and sacrificial. Peter, humbled by his failure, responded with "phileo," meaning affectionate, brotherly love.

The old Peter would have claimed the highest form of love without hesitation. The new Peter, having learned from his failure, was more honest about his limitations.

If we can't learn from our failures, we can't move on to something better. Sometimes we get stuck, like a car pulled over on the highway with plenty of gas and a working engine—perfectly capable of moving forward but sitting idle.

After facing your emotions, drawing closer to God, and learning from your failure, it's time to listen for God's direction. For Peter, Jesus's instruction was simple: "Follow me."

Sometimes we need to get back on track with a plan we've abandoned. Other times, we need a completely new direction. Either way, our failures don't have to be final or prevent us from being used by God.

Peter's story is proof. After his failure and restoration, he became a key leader in the early church. On the day of Pentecost, his preaching led 3,000 people to faith in Jesus. God worked through him to perform miracles and expand the gospel beyond the Jewish community.

And according to historical records, when Peter was eventually arrested under Emperor Nero, he refused to deny Jesus again—even when threatened with death. Tradition holds that he requested to be crucified upside down, considering himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.

What an incredible transformation from the man who once denied knowing Jesus!

You might wonder: is there any failure from which we can't recover? The answer is yes, but it's likely not what you're thinking.

The only unforgivable failure is continued unbelief—not surrendering to Jesus as Savior and Lord in this life. As Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."
Our choices in this life affect our eternity. The good news is that no matter what failures you've experienced, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start through faith in Jesus Christ.
As Romans 10:9-10 promises, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

What failures are you facing today? Career, financial, relational, moral? Perhaps it's the failure to recognize Jesus and surrender to Him.

Whatever your failure has been, if you hand it over to God, He'll not only help you through it but can use you in ways you cannot imagine. It all starts with building your life on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

1. What recent failure has affected you most deeply, and why do you think it hit you so hard?
2. How have your failures typically affected your relationship with God? Do you tend to run toward Him or away from Him?
3. Looking at a significant failure in your life, what have you learned (or what could you learn) from it?
4. Is there a failure that you feel disqualifies you from being used by God? How might Peter's story change your perspective?
5. What would it look like for you to "jump out of the boat and swim to Jesus" in your current situation?

If you're ready to explore how faith in Jesus can transform your failures into growth opportunities, we'd love to have you join us this Sunday at Hope Church at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.