FailureSample

Failure Happens

“Failing forward is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.” — John Maxwell

We have all failed and will fail again at one point or another. Failure has been in our world since the beginning with Adam and Eve.

Failure is not something you can always avoid. Pride and deception are always waiting behind the door to trap us. The Apostle Paul affirmed this in his letter to the Romans, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 ESV)

When we fail, we usually go into two modes: Striving or hiding.

Striving for perfection and hiding from responsibility is both fear of failure in disguise.

Failure has a way of paralyzing our lives. We can fear it so strongly that we will hide from others and God. Like Adam and Eve, failure can bring shame, guilt, and a feeling of nakedness.

We can neglect our responsibilities to work, lead our families, and love our neighbors because past failures paralyze us. It is an inability to move forward.

We might also shift into an unhealthy life of perfectionism. We strive so hard to be perfect and precise in everything we do that we lose ourselves when it does not seem to work.

Many of us want to look like we have it all together. Our kids need to be perfect. Our house must be spotless. And at the end of the day, we find ourselves exhausted from working to please people who do not care.

So if failures happen, what are we to do? Because no one wants to fail.

Most people understand the concept of an ROI (a return on investment). But what if we could get something John Maxwell describes as a ROF (a return on failure)?

What if we could live in a way that allows our failures to bring a positive return?

Instead of fearing failure, we learn from it.

Instead of hiding, we take steps toward God.

Instead of striving, we trust God.

The Good News is that through Jesus, God can redeem our failures!

While there are many ways to fail, there are also ways to grow from failure. Over the next few days, we will look at the life of Peter and learn from his failures.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I know I fall short often.

I need your help to overcome my failures.

I need your guidance.

Help me learn from my failures and mistakes. Amen!