You can’t let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you.
Barack Obama
Hey friends! Welcome back to our last blog post in this series about starting and becoming new. In this article we will take a look at failure and how to start again from disappointments. Out of all the people in the world I doubt one person can say that they have never failed, whether it be at something small or great. It might have been failing a test or failing to score a goal in football. I believe failure is a necessary part of life that helps us to be wiser and stronger.
Failure is an inevitable part of life. You may not like it, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s something everyone has to learn to live with and even embrace. In fact, embracing failure and using it as an opportunity to learn and grow is one of the most effective ways to develop as an individual. Often, you learn more from failure than from success.
Jesus lived a perfect life on earth but in the Bible He fellowshipped with many persons who constantly endured failures and sinful acts. He preached and taught so that we may overcome our difficulties and learn from our mistakes to not fail again. Jesus always offered a new start and a new life to those who wanted better for themselves.
The Bible is filled with stories of triumph, redemption, and faith. Those are the kind we love to read. But it’s also full of stories of people who failed miserably. We often think of biblical characters as heroes, but the truth is that they were just like us, flawed and imperfect human beings. From Adam and Eve to Peter and Judas Iscariot, the failure in the Bible shows us that even the most faithful can fall, but God can redeem and restore, no matter the circumstances.
Jonah
Jonah might be the one Bible character who is known for his failure. When he refused to do what the Lord told him to do (preach to the people at Nineveh), he ran away to Joppa. Jonah was awakened from a deep sleep while on board a ship. There was a big storm out at sea. He informed the sailors God was punishing him for his disobedience. They threw him into the sea, and the storm stopped. God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and he spent the next three days in the fish’s belly. But we see that Jonah used his time in that fish belly for good! He repented that he ran from God, and went to Nineveh as God commanded him. Jonah showed us that God is merciful and forgives our failures when we ask Him.
Jonah wasted time deviating from the mission God sent him on and hid, similarly to how we let failure keep us from moving ahead with time. Someone who failed one time in the span of 5 years still has a lesson to learn, same as someone who failed every year for 3 years. The key thing about failure is learning from it. Maybe it’s for you to try another idea, ask for help or start something new that you might be better at. But know that every time you fall, or your head becomes bowed by disappointment, God is always there to raise it up. Take courage and try again or even start anew.
May you be blessed as you read our blogs and share them with others. Until next time 🙂
ThreeSixteen Ministries 