Facing Failure
How often have you failed and wanted to give up? Maybe, it was a class or some new skill you were trying to learn. Perhaps, it was a relationship you poured your heart and soul into that seemed only to end in failure.
Christian, take heart! Failure is one of those not-so-pleasant parts of this life, but God can work our failures out for good, but we must face our failures head-on by taking them to the Lord. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 KJV, “And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” The key is to seek out God’s purpose in it.
Here are some practical ways to face failure with God:
1. Ask the Lord, “What happened that caused me too fail?”
When God gives you the answer, take time to process your emotions and pain regarding the failure. This may take up to a day, but a word of caution: do not allow self-loathing. Confess any sinful thoughts that may come up, then, move on.
2. Next, prayerfully, ask the Lord, “How could I have gotten the victory over this?”
Wait for the Lord to answer you and write down all wisdom He imparts to you.
3. Once you get through steps 1-3, ask the Lord, “What would you like me to learn from this failure?” Write down exactly what He reveals to you. You’ll need it for future reference.
4. Finally, prayerfully, ask the Lord, “Lord, what will you have me to do next?” Whatever he tells you to do, do it!
By learning where we went wrong and honestly facing our failure, we’re encouraged by the Spirit of God- not to quit- but to keep pressing on because we’re enabled to gain victory next time around. The Bible says in Psalms 27:14 KJV – “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
