New Reminders: Failure

Failure is the concept of not meeting a desired or intended objective and is generally viewed as the opposite of success. There are different types of failure that can be attributed to a given situation. Failure can be because of a simple mistake or misunderstanding.  For example, she thought the appointment was at 10:00 o’clock, not 9:00, and failed to show up on time. Failure might be due to a lack of ability or planning. For example, I thought I could get the cookies baked in time to bring them with me, but I ran out of time. Failure might be due to a lack of opportunity or resources. e.g., He had hoped to go to college, but he did not have enough money to pay the tuition. Another type of failure might be deliberate as in manufactures who design machines to fail in less than ten years so that they can sell more of them sooner.

Whatever the type of failure, it is something we almost always hope to avoid. Failure causes us to feel embarrassed, disillusioned, frustrated, discontent or discouraged. After experiencing several failures in a short period of time, we might start to feel like nothing is going right and we might become despondent or even clinically depressed.  Whether we have caused our own failures or they are caused by forces beyond our control, we might begin to wallow in self-pity or try to blame God or someone or something else for what has happened.

The Bible presents failure not as a final state, but as an opportunity for God’s grace, strength, and redemption to be revealed. While human failure is inevitable, Christians are reassured that God works through mistakes to bring about good.  God offers comfort to the brokenhearted and power through weakness.  As it says in Proverbs 24:16: “The righteous may fall seven times but will rise again”. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that: “God’s strength is perfected in human weakness", meaning that our limitations allow Christ's power to strengthen us. Romans 8:28 promises that “God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose”, including failures. God is close to the brokenhearted and sustains those who feel crushed in spirit, according to Psalm 34:18.

Bible heroes failed often—Peter denied Jesus three times, Matthew 26:69-75, and Abraham lied about his wife in Genesis 12. These stories demonstrate that God can still use flawed people for His purpose. If failure is caused by sin, 1 John 1:9 promises that God is faithful to forgive and cleanse. Philippians 3:13-14 encourages us to focus on the future, letting go of past mistakes and pressing forward and 2 Corinthians 3:5 instructs us to Lean on God’s power rather than our own personal competence.  Deuteronomy 1:29-31 tells us not to be discouraged, but to get back up and continue in faith, knowing that God goes before us. As the hymn says, He goes “with us, with us, all the way”.