Failure is something that we all endure. We will all experience failure at some point in our lives, right? It's unavoidable! But do you know that failure is not always the problem...it's the way we DEAL with failure that can be problematic.
When I think about the fear of failure, I think about how so scary the thought of failing is that it makes you not even want to try to succeed. Have you ever been there? I know I have! I can share many times where I've faced failure; whether it be at my job, competing in pageants, my academic journey, relationships...I have failed and there were times where I was scared of failing. And guess what? People in the Bible have failed too! Romans 3:23 states "For everyone has sinned; we al fall short of God's glorious standard." [NLT] God knows that we are flawed humans that are imperfect. Yet, that's why God promises us many times in the Bible that he is with us so we will not fail! I have realized that my fear of failure came from a place of feeling inadequate; thinking I was not good enough in the first place, and then being disappointed when I failed. But one thing that I'm glad I never did was let failure keep me in a bad place. Because the truth is, God knows everything you guys! He already knows that we're gonna fail! Jeremiah 1:5 says that "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." [NLT] If God already knew who we were before be were even a full blown baby in our mom's stomach, don't you think he knows that we're gonna fail too? Of course, he does! But failing doesn't make you a failure. It makes you human!
Let's face it; some of you have been dealing with the fear of failure. You're afraid of failing, and my question is why? A lot of times it's because we are desperately trying to prove something to ourselves or others. It's all rooted in our own unhealthy thoughts and habits most of the time, and God doesn't want that for us. God wants us to know a few things when it comes to failure:
If you are in God's will, you can't fail! Yes, you'll drop the ball at times. And that's okay, because no one is perfect. But God promises us over and over and OVER again in his word that as long as he is with us, we will NOT fail. 2nd Corinthians 12:10 says "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness". So when we feel like we are failing, that's when he comes in and reminds us that he's got our backs no matter what!
Failing does not determine your destiny! What God has for you is for you. There is nothing you can do to disqualify you from that. Even when you sin, as long as you repent and learn from the mistakes, God is gonna continue to have your back! Look at Sarah and Abraham! They literally failed, and God still blessed them with what he promised them! Their mistakes did not disqualify them from their promise, and neither will yours!
Failures are opportunities for GROWTH! When I have failed, I have always looked back an either asked "what lesson was I supposed to learn from this" or "how can I do better in the future?" Failures are literally chances for us to learn and grow, so why not embrace them! After all, we all fail.
Just because you fail, doesn't mean you are a failure! God does not look at us in that way when we fail, so neither should we. Instead, look at your failures as stepping stones towards success. After all, God has already made you a winner. So own it!
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