What to do if you fail
WHAT IF YOU FAIL?
First, failing does not make you a failure. You are NOT a failure! Remember – you are created in the image of God, so you are not a failure. Yes, we may sin, make mistakes and mess up, but this does not make us “failures”. It just means that we are learning and growing. When a baby is learning to walk, he will stumble and fall at times, but that does not mean the baby is a failure. He or she is just learning and growing.
You Are God’s Masterpiece
God does not make failures and He does not see you as a failure. God sees you as you are in Christ. You are His masterpiece created with great value (Eph. 2:10) and that is how we should learn to see ourselves. We are still under construction. God is not finished with us yet. He is working in us helping us to become more like Jesus every day. He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in you. (Philippians 1:6)
Many people never overcome their failures because they never forgive themselves for failing. Instead of moving beyond failure to success, they continue to punish themselves with self-inflicted guilt. Others try to justify or make excuses and never properly deal with failures in their life. So, the question is what do you do if you fail?
Finding God’s Mercy
Here are 3 steps to take to overcome failure.
- Confess It.
Recognize and admit it when you mess up. Our failure is never what defines us, it is our response to failure. If you try to hide it, it will continue to trouble you. If you try to justify or make excuses, it will only fester and become worse. The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13).
The first step in overcoming failure is to own our mistakes. The Bible promises, that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). The biblical concept of confession means to “say the same thing” or to agree. When we confess our sins to God, we are simply agreeing with Him that our sin is wrong. We are acknowledging that God’s standard is just and that we have failed.
- Repent of it.
While taking the first step of admitting and confessing our mistakes is important to overcoming failure the second step is crucial. We need to “repent”. Repent means to “change one’s attitude, thinking, and behavior.” Repentance is a mental decision that produces an act of our will resulting in a change of action. No one ever truly repented and then went right on deliberately sinning. We may fail again. When we do, we must repent again. As long as we continue to justify our sin we will never correct it. Those who refuse to repent will continue to fail. We must make a decision with God’s help and grace to change our thinking and actions. Repentance involves honesty. It means we are willing to take the steps that bring about change. We must face ourselves as we really are and do something about it. You will overcome failure and be free from your guilt until you face your sin and do something about it.
- Accept Forgiveness.
God forgives you, but you must receive His forgiveness and be willing to forgive yourself. Jesus consistently taught He came into the world to save sinners, not to condemn them (see John 3:17). By condemning ourselves, we reject God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness. If we refuse His cleansing, we refuse the only true solution to our failures.Being born again (becoming a Christian) happens in a split second but growing and developing spiritually is a lifetime process. Learning to overcome our failures and the guilt they produce is part of that process. God is has forgiven you, but you must be willing to forgive yourself. Accepting forgiveness is the third step to overcoming failure.
You May Have Failed—But God is Not Done with You
God is not done with you—or you wouldn’t be here. If you have failed in any way don’t quit or give up, follow these three steps and regain the joy of your salvation. The process works a lot easier than it sounds. Any time we fail if we will confess our sins and failures, change our thinking and behavior, and receive the power of God’s mercy we can and will overcome the guilt, fear, and condemnation that failure puts upon us and be positioned to keep moving forward with God’s plan and destiny for our lives.
Learn and Grow
When you fail use the experience to learn and grow. When you respond to sin and other failures correctly God will help you become better. Don’t let the failures of life make you bitter. It’s not about falling; it’s about getting back up. “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways” (Prov. 20:30, GN).
Ask God for wisdom to understand the cause of your failure. Ask, “Why did I fail? Is there any reason I might have set myself up to fail?” Those who live a life of victory and purpose know how to turn every failure into a learning experience – creating stepping stones for victory and success.
Jesus Paid the Price
Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin and to satisfy God’s demand for justice. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, God provided the payment for our sin. He did for us what we could never do for ourselves. The price has already been paid. What if you fail; confess, repent, and accept – when you do you can live in the freedom of God’s grace.