As a church leader, you’re held to a higher standard than others. The Bible warns teachers in verses like James 3:1 that they will be judged more strictly. 

But leaders aren’t perfect. We all fall short from time to time. The Christian life is a guilt-free life, but it’s not a mistake-free life.

The Bible never hides this truth. It is painfully honest about the failures of its heroes. God saved the world after a flood through a man named Noah—who then got drunk and naked, and blew it all. Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into freedom—yet his anger kept him out of the Promised Land. The Bible tells the story of King David, a man after God’s own heart—who then had an affair and arranged the murder of the woman’s husband so he wouldn’t be discovered.

God realizes our frailty. If God only used perfect people, the Bible would be a pretty short book. In fact, he has a solution for our failures: grace.

The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV).

If you look at all those failures in Scripture, you get a clear picture. You and I—just like those heroes of the Bible—are trophies of God’s grace. Your primary witness to the church and the world around you isn’t all the great stuff you do for God. It’s how you handle mistakes you’ve made. Do you mope or do you revel in the grace of God?

People want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs. People want to meet a God who can transform broken lives.

The amazing part of God’s grace isn’t just his power to forgive. It’s the strength he gives us when we start over.

It’s the strength God gives us when we become trophies of his grace.