Great You Are Devotional by Jordan SmithSampel

Day Two: Worshiping Through Failure

Failure is a bad word in our house. I may not be a seasoned saint just yet, but I’ve lived enough life to know that if at first you don’t succeed, you try again (and again and again). I can say it now with confidence, but that sentiment was really put to the test in February of 2014 when I auditioned for The Voice and was told - get this - no. That’s right, I had a shot at the biggest opportunity of my life and I didn’t make it. Talk about a blow to the old self-esteem. So, imagine the emotional roller coaster I experienced when I got the call an entire year later to try again… 

I could’ve said no. I wanted to. I was afraid of being rejected, and rightfully so. How embarrassing would it be to get turned down a second time? What would God think of me if I failed again? I turned to scripture and prayer to decide what to do. And you know what I found? I’m not the first person to fail at something. And neither are you. In fact, most of the greatest figures in scripture experienced failure at some point in their story. Sarah was impatient. David committed adultery. Elijah had a nervous breakdown. Peter denied Christ. There are countless examples of great men and women whose faith, when put to the test, did not meet the mark. Still, just like us, their story doesn’t end there. Their testimonies teach us that failing doesn’t make you a failure.

Second Corinthians 12:19 tells us not to be ashamed of our weaknesses, because our shortcomings are where God shines the most. The cracks in our façade are how the light gets in. When everything looks like it’s falling apart, the opportunity presents itself to make room for Grace. Just because we failed this time, doesn’t mean we will the next time. And it definitely doesn’t mean God has given up on His plan for us. Worshiping through failure is proclaiming that God is still good while we pick up the pieces. 

Today’s big idea:

If we never experienced failure, we wouldn’t know the extent of our need for God’s Grace. Don’t be afraid to try again. Your comeback story will be a display of the power of Jesus at work in your life.