We all fall short

I’ve been sitting on this one for a while but maybe someone needs to hear it.

As I sat listening to the Easter message last year a verse that was quoted struck something inside of me. The verse was Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. A very simple and straight forward verse but so very true. We all sin, we all struggle, we all fall.

What struck me though was all the other applications that this verse had in our lives. What more other areas can we use it? These for me came to mind.

For all have acted selfishly and fallen short of putting others first.

For all spouses have allowed distractions to create a wedge between themselves and their partner.

For all parents have lost patience and fallen short of giving the love and attention that they should to their kids.

For all fight the same struggles every single day and fallen short of asking for the help that’s needed.

For all firefighters have become complacent and fallen short of the commitment to stay ready to serve.

I sat there in that service saddened by the areas in my life that I have struggled with over and over again. Areas of my life that I want to do so good in such as being a good parent and spouse, yet I struggle the most at. I feel like everyday I see how I should’ve done better and at the end of most of those nights I feel like a complete failure. The worst part however is that the next day I seem to find ways to do the same things over and over again.

I’ve failed more than my share in every aspect of life but the great thing is that failure isn’t his plan for us. Hope is always there if you have faith and you can see that in the verses before and after Romans 3:23.

Romans 3:22-24 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Everyday I wake up I want to be a great husband, father, leader, and follower of God but the reality is most days I fall short in all these but as long as I wake up tomorrow I get to try again.