When we fail to measure up to a standard, we tend to take the focus off of ourselves and look to blame someone else.
Talking Points:
- The Lie: “When I fail, I’m unworthy of love and deserve to be punished. This lie takes an isolated incident and turns it into a character trait.
- Believing the lies leaves us with two options when we fail. We either blame ourselves or someone else. If the former, we will expend a lot of energy on self loathing thoughts that leave us feeling deflated. If it’s the latter, we will spend a lot of energy blaming someone else for what went wrong.
- God’s answer to this lie is propitiation. Jesus came to take the punishment we deserve for our sins upon himself. He absorbed God’s wrath on our behalf. In him, we are victorious. We don’t have to fear punishment from God for our past failings. Romans 5:7-11, 1 John 4:9-10
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Describe a time you failed in something. How did that situation affect you?
- When you fail, are you more likely to blame yourself or someone else? Explain. Why do we have the need to find fault when failure occurs?
- Define propitiation in your own words. What does it mean to you that Jesus absorbed the punishment you deserved?
- Read Romans 5:7-11. At what point did Jesus die for us? Why is that timing significant? What does that say about your value to God?
- 1 John 4:9-10. How different would our relationship with God be if we had to earn his love? What does it say about God that he loves us despite our failings?
- Based on this lesson, how should you view failure moving forward?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Adapted from the book The Search For Significance by Robert McGee
