Failure

Whether we like it or not, failure is on the menu in life. Whatever decision we make, we are at risk of failure and frustration. But maybe God has something more in mind for your failures than for them just to cause you pain. When we are dealing with stress and fear because we are afraid we may fail, remember how big our God is and know that he uses failure to strengthen us. Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm”. When we face failure, remember that God is working through that failure and stay calm.

Think for a moment about the greatest success stories in the Bible. Almost all of the terrific things that happened throughout the Bible began with failure. Remember the story of Moses, which started with him barely escaping death as a child when his mother hid him from Pharaoh. Once Moses was older, he killed an Egyptian who he saw mistreating a Hebrew, and he fled to the wilderness. That is failure at its finest, but God used Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt that they had been in for 400 years!

Think also about the story of Daniel. Daniel was thrown into a lions den for crying out loud! Yet he still trusted God, and God saved Daniel and made him second in command over a huge kingdom. What seemed like utter failure, the Lord used for unbelievable success.

One more great story about success that was born from failure in the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ, God’s son. Everyone thought that Jesus would lead a rebellion against the Roman Empire and free the Jews. Those dreams were suddenly crushed to pieces when Jesus was crucified. It seemed like the life of Jesus had been a complete failure, but he rose again and out of what looked like a failure came the greatest success and greatest thing that has ever happened to man-we were saved!

Now look at your own life, failure and all. My life right now is filled with failure, and I’m sure yours is as well, but God will give you strength from your setbacks and will bring great success out of what seemed to be failure. The Bible says that God’s power works best when we are weak. What is weighing you down today? If you trust God just as Moses, Daniel, and Jesus did, even in the midst of what seems like total failure and hopelessness, He will do greater things through you than you could ever ask or imagine.