He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13
No one likes to fail. No one revels in the feelings of missing the mark or of facing a mistake, big or small, public or private. But, the truth is, every single one of us will experience failure of some kind at some point in our lives…and probably on multiple occasions. However, take heart! Besides Jesus, is there any person in the Bible who sailed through their life without making a few (and oftentimes HUGE) blunders along the way? And, these are our faith heroes!
The biggest truth you must hold in your heart when you find yourself facing failure is this: you may have failed, but YOU are not a failure. You are still a child of God who is loved unconditionally by your Father in heaven. YOU still have a destiny and a hope. And, as long as you don’t cover up and hide your mistakes (as the scripture above teaches), you will be able to find mercy and forgiveness. God is way bigger than your failure and He can take your mistakes and use them as platforms for you to rebuild. Only God is creatively powerful enough to take the cake in which you put all the wrong ingredients, bake it, and still make it taste good.
Obviously, depending upon the situation, it might take time and much effort on your part to turn everything around. Restoring anything valuable is hard work. But, never forget you are not alone. You have the strength of Christ working on the inside of you to help you endure the sting of failure, all the way to victory. And, as the scripture above encourages, live your life openly with those who are close friends. Be honest about your struggles and allow them to link arms with you as you fight the good fight of faith.
Remember, a failure is never the end…as long as YOU get back up.
BELIEVE IT
Is there any failure you have been afraid to admit? Any sin you have been hiding? First, talk to God about it and ask for forgiveness. Then, forgive yourself. Determine that failure will not define you. Finally, talk with a mature Christian friend who can help you walk through to victory.
SAY IT
Father, I believe that You love me, even when I’ve failed. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me, even when I’ve been faithless. Help me today to rise above this failure and to walk forward to victory.
READ IT
For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again. Proverbs 24:16 (AMP)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
