Devotional: Failure
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
- Hebrews 4:16
Do you have an unbelieving friend and you feel like it’s your fault that they don’t believe in Jesus?
Did you disappoint or hurt someone in your life and no longer speak to them?
Have you given into a specific sin again after promising you would never do it again?
Have you ever ignored the prompting of the Holy Spirit?
Do you sometimes get afraid when sharing the Gospel so you don’t speak up?
Do you feel like a failure because you forgot to read the Bible today?
In some of those scenarios, we experience real failure, but in others, we place the failure upon ourselves.
The bottom line is this: we all fail!
But the redeeming line is this: we are conquerors through Christ!
I believe failure keeps us humble so that we fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the one who will never fail. In turn, by fixing our eyes on Jesus and His grace, we can operate through HIS power.
God is a loving Father who disciplines His children:
Parents help their children avoid failure but also help them work through failure when it happens. When a baby is learning to walk, the parent doesn’t get upset when they fall; instead, they are there to help them back up and encourage them to try again.
Then, when a child gets older, discipline is implemented when they fail to obey or listen to their parents.
When we experience failure, such as giving into sin over and over or shrinking away from sharing the Gospel, God is always going to be there to give us grace. We don’t have to fear that He will turn His back on us, just as a good parent never will. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
At the same time, though, God also disciplines us the “older” we get in our spiritual walk. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” In the case of sin, He allows us to experience the natural consequences from it.
Satan is a hateful liar who tries to oppress his enemy:
While recognizing that we fail (which is why we need Christ), it is important to not allow the feelings of being a failure to keep us down. This is prime territory for the devil to discourage us and as a result, keep us from trying again due to shame or embarrassment or feeling like God is disappointed in us.
Also, there are scenarios that I mentioned in the beginning that are not our fault, but we place the blame upon ourselves. I’ve noticed that the devil especially enjoys using these moments to oppress us. I’ve seen this the most in my life with friends who I have that are still not believers or have walked away from God. The devil tries to tell me that I am a bad witness and that it's my fault, which I know is not true. It has taken me a long time to quiet those lies; I’ve had to remind myself that while God has put them in my life, the choice of believing is ultimately up to them.
Take a moment: How do we deal with failure?
Focus on the Perfect One, not yourself.
We have “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Stop focusing on your failures and sins. Focus instead on Jesus and His perfect grace and love, ready to work within you.
Silence the enemy’s lies.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Like I mentioned above, the enemy is just waiting for a vulnerable moment to send those fiery darts of self-condemning thoughts your way. If we allow them to take hold, then we become ineffective for the Lord, which is what the enemy wants.
Rely on God’s strength to try again– which you have!
Failure should propel us to try again, but to also operate in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our flesh is weak, but the Spirit is strong within us. Operating by the Spirit requires remembering WHO we are, now that Christ has redeemed us and made us conquerors. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” We have access to everything we need to live a godly life through Him.
Accepting His forgiveness when we fail and then pressing on with His power is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina