“When people fall down, don’t they get up again? When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?”
– Jeremiah 8:4 NLT
We will all fail in some way or another at various stages throughout our lives. It’s likely that at this time, this isn’t what you want to hear. The previous year may have even been predicted to be your best one yet, but it ended without even the proverbial “flash in the pan.”
The truth is that failure is one of the many problems we will have to deal with as long as we live in this flawed world. This is an affirmation of fact and a scriptural truth rather than a negative prayer. According to John 16:33, this life will bring us many difficulties and sufferings.
It’s not all terrible news, though! Jesus promises us of His victory over the world in the same passage. This means that no matter what challenges you may have endured or are still facing, Christ in you (and you in Christ) spells forth abundant peace and incomparable joy. So, the first step to overcoming failure is to find comfort in the knowledge that you have Jesus. It is saying, “Although I might not have had a good year, I have a good Father.”
Making the decision not to focus on failure excessively is the next stage in overcoming it. We can infer from the anchor Scripture that a person who stumbles is required to get back up and dust yourself off.
Getting back up again as often as necessary is one of the best methods to overcome failure, no matter how it may appear to you. So, if you want to overcome failure, you must have resilience. It might include digging another well, giving it another shot, and putting Proverbs 24:16 into action:
“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”
Last but not least, realize that just because you failed yesterday doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in God’s plan for your life today. It doesn’t negate the fact that God can still use you for good. God’s plan for us may not include failure, yet He can still utilize it for our benefit and for His glory.
Bible Reading Plan: Job 39-40