Starting Over after a Spiritual Fail
Ever had a spiritual faceplant you wish you could undo? You’re not alone. Abraham—yep, the father of our faith—blew it in a big way. But grace didn’t give up on him, and it won’t give up on you either.
Key Takeaways
- Grace Offers Do-Overs – Even when we fail, God’s mercy meets us with a fresh start (Lamentations 3:22-23).
- Abraham Messed Up Too – He let fear rule and threw his wife under the proverbial camel. Still, God didn’t cancel him—He called him back.
- Return to the Altar – After failing in Egypt, Abraham went back to where he first encountered God (Genesis 13:4). Returning to God is always the right next step.
- Failure Isn’t Final – Your spiritual missteps don’t have to define your story. In Christ, shame doesn’t stick—redemption does.
Join the Conversation
What “altar” do you need to return to? What would it look like for you to start over today with God's grace in view? Share your thoughts with us using #LifeaudioNetwork and let others be encouraged by your journey. You’re not too far gone. God’s mercy says, “Let’s try again—together.”
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Full Transcript Below:
Starting Over After a Spiritual Fail
By Jennifer Slattery
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. - Genesis 13:1-4 NIV
Sometimes, I struggle to live anchored in grace. I’ve done a lot of things I regret and, sadly, wounded those I love. While I’ve confessed and apologized for those things, sadly, I can’t unspeak words spoken or go back in time to handle situations differently. But, thanks to God’s grace, each day, I do receive a do over—a chance to stop in the middle of an argument, selfish act, or whatever dysfunctional behavior I’ve slipped back into to live more consistently aligned with Jesus.
When I’m battling fear of failure or shame related to my past, I’m encouraged by biblical accounts of godly men and women who messed up big time, but then, turned around, got back on track, and began again.
Abraham, called Abram in today’s passage, the patriarch of our faith, messed up big time. When we first meet him in Genesis 11 and 12, he obediently leaves his pagan homeland in Ur, taking his wife and nephew with him, to embark on a journey to an unknown land. As a woman who’s followed her husband from one state to another, and who, at times, was a reluctant (and, on occasion, anxious and tearful) participant, I can’t help but wonder what his wife felt or thought regarding this major life transition.
She left her home, her biological family, her neighbors and friends, and whatever sense of security those support systems provided.
Did she even have a say in the matter? Based on the culture in which she lived, I suspect she might not have.
While Scripture doesn’t tell us how long she and her husband had been married at this point, the depth or strength of their relationship, or how safe she felt in it, it does record an instance that must’ve shattered any trust they’d built. To paraphrase, when he and Sarai, later called Sarah, arrived in Canaan, they hit two significant challenges. First, other people occupied the land, and, second, they soon found themselves in a famine, which would’ve been life threating. Then, instead of seeking God’s guidance regarding how to navigate this crisis, Abraham decided to head, with his clan, to Egypt.
In Genesis 12:11-13, we read:
11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you” (NIV).
In other words, “This isn’t a safe place. We’re going to encounter men so consumed with lust, they’ll kill me to get to you.”
His plan? To abandon his wife to protect himself.
When we allow our fear, rather than God, to lead us, we tend to behave in hurtful ways, as Abraham did. Because of his “brilliant” solution, Sarah soon found herself taken to the palace by the most powerful man in the nation.
Pause to consider how you might feel, in a similar situation. Would you feel betrayed and afraid?
I would.
Keep in mind, the Pharaoh wasn’t inviting her over for conversation and tea. Genesis 12:19 tells us he took her “to be his wife.”
Thankfully, God came to her rescue before she was violated. What relief she must’ve felt when Pharaoh released her, untouched, and told her and Abraham—called Abram at this point in the story—to take their belongings and leave.
But, oh, the pain they both must’ve carried with them. For Sarah, the sting of betrayal, and for Abraham the sting of regret.
Intersecting Life and Faith
Do you see the beautiful truth tucked within today’s passage? Scripture tells us, after Abraham’s colossal failure as a husband and man of God, he returned to where he first built an altar to commemorate his encounter with the Creator, and there “he called on the name of the Lord.” This is a biblical idiom denoting faith and connection. Abraham returned to the Lord and His ways.
Thanks to Jesus, and the price He paid for our salvation, we always have the opportunity to do the same. Regardless of how far we’ve wondered, or the mistakes we’ve made along the way, each day we can begin again and again, and again. As Scripture promises, God’s mercies are new every morning. So long as we continually turn to Him, He will teach us to break free from our shame to live more consistently in His grace, and more fully aligned with His will.
Further reading:
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