When Failure Comes
Failure isn’t something we like to talk about. Actually, it isn’t even something we like to think about, but failure comes to all of us. Some failures are more damaging than others, but all failure has some consequences. Sometimes, those consequences are life changing, and at other times they don’t really impact our lives for very long.
Our brother in Christ, Mark Posey, writes a post entitled “A Moment on the Road Less Traveled.” It gets my attention because it causes me to think about my favorite poem by Robert Frost. Mark’s thoughts are short, but impactful.
Recently he wrote a post entitled, “How to turn failure into success.” There were three great points, but it was that third one that caused me to let my mind run free concerning this topic. His third point was, “Never use failure as an excuse for not trying again. Keep moving forward.” (emphasis added)
In the past months I have known of several failures that have taken place – failed friendships, failed marriages, failed parenting, failure to act like a Christian, failure to do your job, failure to put God first…and the list could go on.
With each of these failures, there have been consequences, some of which were extremely severe. Trying to help those with these problems certainly wears on a person physically and mentally. Sometimes the shock of what has taken place takes months and even years to begin healing from the hurt that accompanied the failure.
When I read Mark’s third point, “Never use failure as an excuse for not trying again,” I realized that clinging to the failure would be the ultimate failure. Hiding behind it and wallowing in pity is not the answer. The last part of his point – “Keep moving forward” – is the answer. Lean on God, continue doing what is pleasing and right before Him – that’s the answer!
My advice has often been, you do what’s right and everything else will fall into place. Sometimes it’s not as fast as we want it to be, but in God’s time everything will be ok.
When failure comes your way or my way, I hope we will remember: process what has happened, lean on God and His word, right any wrongs you may have committed, don’t let your failure or the failure of others define you, keep trying, and most of all “Keep moving forward.”
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).
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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
