Overcome Your Failures: They Do NOT Define You!
Failures are a common cause of insecurity. Sometimes these insecurities stem from a fear of failure. Maybe it’s from previous failures, maybe even a series of them. Occasionally they may come from failures consisting of bad decisions, wrong living, intentional or even unintentional mistakes, etc. We occasionally have the misbelief that our failures define us. They don’t! Our failures can hinder us and hold us back if we let them, but they don’t have to. We can learn to overcome them and even use them as a springboard to launch us even further into success.
Failures can teach us.
King David’s sin and failures (adultery and murder) haunted him: “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.” Psalm 51:3 (NLT) Our failures often haunt us. In fact, the devil loves to keep us in this exact position. Another word for it is self-condemnation. The devil wants us to believe that we ARE a failure because we have failed. He loves to keep us in torment over our mistakes. He wants us to believe that we will never be enough because of what we have done. The good news is that God says the complete opposite…
“… And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”” John 8:11 (ESV)
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIV)
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (NLT)
God won’t write us off
God won’t write us off. He didn’t write David off, even though he was an adulterer and murderer.
He didn’t write Paul off, even though he was a sworn enemy of Jesus and murderer of Christians.
God won’t write YOU off, regardless of your failures!
God is omniscient (all-knowing). He already knew all the mistakes you were going to make before you ever even made them, and He still chose you anyway. God still wants to use you. God can use you IN SPITE OF your mistakes. In fact…God can even use your flaws, imperfections and mistakes. God steps in a makes up for our weaknesses, failure/failures, and mistakes.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
We’re the getting back up people!
When we mess up, it’s OK. We just need to get back up again. In fact, Jesus basically said to the adulterous women in John 8:11 “I’m not going to hold your failures against you, just don’t do it anymore” (my paraphrase). I love this verse:
“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” Proverbs 24:16 (NLT)
Joe McGee often says, “We’re not the perfect people, we’re the getting back up people!”
Get back up, brush yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and try not to repeat them anymore! Don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result—some say this is the definition of insanity! 🙂
Lastly, we need to remember that we can never mess up so bad that it will cause God to turn away from us, not forgive us, or stop loving us.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
Take Some Practical Steps to Overcome Your Failures:
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First, you have to forgive yourself.
The problem is not with God. The problem is with you. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and confessed your failures to God, He has already said you are forgiven (1 John 1:9, Isaiah 43:25, Acts 3:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17). If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet, read this post on 1st Steps to Ultimate Success. You DO NOT have to punish yourself. Jesus already took your punishment for you. You are belittling and minimizing his sacrifice for you when you try to punish yourself instead of accepting what he already did.
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Secondly, come to the realization that no failure is too big for God to forgive, fix, or use.
There is no such thing as “too messed up”. God can turn your failures around. God can take your failures and turn them into a success!
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Remember that God loves you even when you fail.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV)
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Remember that everyone fails. You are no exception.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT)
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Next, look at examples of failures-to-success for encouragement.
There are examples ALL throughout the bible (and probably all around you too).
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Then, get back up. Remember, we are the getting back up people!
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Encourage yourself when you feel down, and surround yourself with others who will encourage you as well.
In 1 Samuel 30, David was viewed as a failure by his men (and possibly even himself) because their wives and children had been taken captive and their homes were destroyed. His men were talking about stoning him, but 1 Samuel 30:6 said that David “encouraged himself in the Lord his God”. You need to follow his example when your failures get you down. Find verses that encourage you, keep them visible and recite them. You also need to remember your self-talk (see this post).
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Use your failures.
Don’t just overcome and conquer your failures—use them. Take those things that were meant to tear you down and keep you down, and use them to help others. Be a testimony for others. Help others to overcome their failures. You are MORE than a conqueror.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (ESV)
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Finally, forgive others their failures if you want to be forgiven of yours.
Make allowances for each other’s faults. Stay humble; we all fail.
“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31 (NASB)
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 (NLT)
What are some steps that you are going to take to overcome your failures? How can you use your failures to launch you into success? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
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If you have benefited from this post or if you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward and share this post with them via the sharing links below! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
**Updated: original post 1/20/2015
