Friday Light: To Fail is Human

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"My greatest concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure."  - Abraham Lincoln

Dictionary.com defines failure as: a lack of success. The fear of failure is one of the biggest sources of frustration in our lives. It keeps us frozen in our steps, afraid to move forward or act.

All of us have dealt with failure at one time or another. Some seem to bounce back and carry on, while others never really get over it. It differs from each individual. And until we experience it, we don't know in certainty how we'll handle it.

Surprisingly, the Bible displays many people who met with failure. Because they were human, they were as vulnerable to it as you or I. One familiar example occurs in the life of Moses (Exodus 3:1-4:17).

Moses' main issue was his lack of trust in God. Overwhelmed by the plans God had for him, he tried to keep a low profile. But God was having none of it. He chose Moses for the job and worked through him regardless.

Lack of courage can be another obstacle in our lives. So it was with Peter the apostle (Luke 22:54). Peter considered himself a close, dedicated disciple of Jesus. Yet, his self-preservation was stronger.

In both instances, God held no grudges against either. Nor did His love for them falter. He knew what he had to work with when they, and others like them, were chosen. We are all broken, imperfect, and prone to failure. But God still loves us.

The message to be gathered from this is that God is bigger than our failure. Failure is as much a part of life as anything else. There is no one alive who hasn't tasted it at one time or another. Still, it is all part of the process God has for us (James 1:2).

Did God ever promise life without sorrow? No! Without failure? No! Trouble-free living? Never! He can see us through all of this uncertain, and sometimes painful, journey called life (Psalm 145:14). All he asks it that we believe in and trust him.

Failure can make us feel alone, forsaken, and full of self-disgust. It can send us into a dark place if we allow it to. However, if we can keep our focus on God, and trust that He knows what He is doing, our failure can be turned into success and victory (Isaiah 41:10)!

Scripture: Luke 1:37; Proverbs 24:16; Psalm 73:26; Proverbs 3:5-6; Joshua 1:9; 

Prayer: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  - Psalm 51:10

Have a blessed weekend!

Margot