Failures Are Oppotunities To Grow

Use failures as opportunities to grow

 

Failure hurts. Whether it's something as big as losing

a relationship or a job because of your mistakes or

simply saying something embarrassing in a conversation,

failure can easily leave you feeling hopeless.

 

But from God's perspective, there's always hope after

failure. Even when you fail by the world's standards,

you can be a success in God's eyes. He can powerfully

transform your life no matter what has happened,

and sometimes failures are especially good times for

God to work in your life.

 

 

Here are some ways you can use failures

as opportunities to grow:

 

·    Live to please God, not other people. God's opinion

  is the only one that ultimately matters.

 

·    Realize that if you're faithfully doing what God wants

  you to do -- even if you're   not accomplishing much

  right now – He considers you as success because you're

  faithful.

 

·    Don't let failure shock you; no one is immune to it.

  Failure is a normal part of life when you take risks

  in order to grow. Admit your failures, and accept them.

 

·    Rather than dwelling on feelings of guilt and shame,

  confess your mistakes to God and ask Him to forgive you.

  Accept the unconditional love that God always offers you,

  as well as the grace He gives you to grow.

 

·    Never give up! Don't ever let failure keep you from trying

  new things.

 

·    Understand that God may or may not choose to let you know

  why an effort of yours has failed. But rather than focusing

  on what you see as unfair circumstances, focus on God's

  character. Know that He will always act in your best

  interests, and trust Him to lead you through each day in love.

 

·    Before undertaking a new endeavor, pray about God's will. Do

  you have a sense of peace that God is genuinely leading you to

  pursue it? Have you actively listened to the Holy Spirit's voice?

 

·    Assess your motives when you consider pursuing a new endeavor.

  Honestly determine whether you're motivated to pursue it out

  of love for God, or because you expect or hope to receive

  some type of personal gain. If your effort doesn't result

  in personal gain, would you consider that effort a failure?

  Strive to be a servant; if you do, every effort you invest

  in will be successful in God's eyes.

 

·    Think about how a particular failure can help you understand

  yourself better than before, and push you closer to Christ

  than you had been before failing. Ask God what He wants

  you to learn from the failure.

 

·    Don't isolate yourself from others after you've failed.

  Embrace comfort and encouragement from people who care about you.

 

·    When failure has left you feeling gloomy, remember some recent

  times when you celebrated God's work in your life. Realize that

  failure is only temporary. Know that because of Christ's

  resurrection, you have a living hope from which you can draw

  your strength in the future.

 

By: Whitney Von Lake Hopler

 

Adapted from Beyond Failure: Discovering Grace and Hope in the Hard

Times of Life, copyright 2001 by James A. Scudder. Published by Crossway

Books, Wheaton, Ill., www.goodnews-crossway.org, 1-800-635-7993.