Another Shot
When billionaire playboy, Oliver Queen, wound up stranded on a deserted island, he had to have been more terrified than he’d ever been in his life. Not many things in this world are as scary as being placed in a new situation with the overwhelming feeling that you are wildly unprepared. His entire life, Ollie had been given everything he’d ever gotten. Life up until the crash was easy. Now he faced a completely unforgiving and hostile environment that would not simply yield to his requests.
Funny thing is, you don’t have to crash land on a strange island to identify with this sensation. If you’ve ever moved to a new town, went to a new school, left for college or got a new job, you’ve probably experienced the uneasy feeling of doubt in your abilities to handle the unknown. Even concerted preparation can only take you so far. Like most of us, trial and error was Oliver’s guide. And as unintuitive as it sounds, one of the best ways to get past an obstacle and succeed, is to fail.
When the future Emerald Archer fashioned his first bow, I’m sure it did not work properly. I wouldn’t doubt if it took him several attempts before he could even take his first shot. Just imagine how long it took, just how many missed arrows he had to fire before he got his first bullseye. Over and over again, he would collect his missed arrows, walking back and forth from his target to his shooting position. The tedious repetition of try and fail, try and fail weighing down on him. That sinking feeling of, “not another missed shot”, can be excruciating. And although that misery of repeated failure must have felt unending, there’s good news. Oliver didn’t miss forever. At some point he picked up that bow, aimed and released the arrow that would be his first bullseye. But he didn’t stop there. He shot another, and another, until he couldn’t miss. What started out as the survival story of a weak, unprepared man, soon became the tale of a master of his craft who could overcome anything.
Life as a Christian can feel like being on a deserted island. Fitting in at a new school or getting to know co-workers can feel like a solitary fight for survival. And just imagine mentioning the Bible, or that you go to church. What if they make fun of you, or even worse, ask or bring up something you don’t know how to respond to? There are a million different scary situations we all have to be nervous about, but here’s the bottom line. If you put your faith in Christ, study His word and speak the truth in love, you will never miss. Even the arrows you thought missed the mark had a purpose. Despite his inexperience, Oliver learned that the more he failed, the stronger he got.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:9 that we are persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Proverbs 24:16 tells us that the righteous may fall seven times, but still get up.
Consider this, the Green Arrow has to pull arrows backward before they can fly forward. No matter what obstacle lies ahead, how many times you’ve failed, or how stuck or scared you feel, if you focus, keep aiming and never take your eyes off of Christ, He will launch you to heights you never knew you could reach.
