A fact of life is that you will fail at some point. In fact, if you’re like the majority of humans, you’ll fail quite a bit.
*I personally am so scared of failure that I’m hoping my next novel will be a treatise on why failing is a necessary part of the human condition. Maybe I can brainwash myself into not being afraid of falling on my butt in public (both figuratively and literally) by spending another five years in the literary trenches.
Failing (or a lack of results despite SO MUCH HARD WORK ACK) multiple times can be super discouraging. And of course, I understand if God is making me fail at something because it’s objectively NOT a worthy pursuit (or even, dare I say it, a SINFUL pursuit?)
But what happens when I’m trying to do something good—like tone up for the summer, write a new devotional, maybe even serve at church—and things just seem to be falling apart? Is that a sign to give up? Or should I see this as an obstacle course, growing me into a worthy warrior?
I’m not offering a five-step guide to understanding this clearly. I am, however, offering some Scripture which has helped me chew this over in every unique failure I face.
Truth #1: Quality over quantity
I really appreciate the time my college took to drill into us that to be a Christian is to be excellent in all we do. I thoroughly believe that if you call yourself a Christian, you should strive to go above and beyond in all pursuits: home, work, athletics, education, you name it!
2 Corinthians 12:15 says, “So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.”
Paul doesn’t give 50% and then run off to invest in Me Time. He gives his 100%, then goes for the 150%!
Name a time in the Bible that Jesus gave less than 100%. One of my favorite stories is in Mark 6. Jesus was tired from teaching (and hungry, too—the Bible says He hadn’t eaten) so he retreated with His disciples by boat. Yet, when he saw the masses of people waiting for His teaching, He forgot His own physical weakness and began to teach again.
Jesus knew many of those people would be calling for His death soon enough. He knew the results were grim—yet He STILL gave 100%, as should we despite the results.
Truth #2: We are not in control of results.
1 Corinthians 3:6 says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
Jumping off of the previous point, we must keep in mind that after we do what we’re supposed to, the results fall into the hands of God.
David Livingston only had one convert in his lifetime as a missionary. One. Does that mean God didn’t bless his work? Does that mean he failed God? By no means!
God measures success so much differently than we do as humans. He looks at our spiritual growth, at our alignment with His will. He predetermined our lives from the beginning anyway! (Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”)
This may be very encouraging to those of you who are worn out from witnessing to a loved one for years, without fruit. Keep being faithful! At the end of the day, that’s all you can do.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Truth #3: Maybe you aren’t the person to accomplish this task.
“I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ … he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.” 1 Chronicles 28:3-5
Many well-intentioned people set out to get Bible degrees, become missionaries, or start ministries. And those are such worthy pursuits! God understands your heart.
And yet…maybe that isn’t HIS plan for you. Of course, being a missionary is great—but God needs His people in the corporate world, on the soccer field, and in the home raising children. We can’t all be missionaries, and we can’t all have our own ministries.
Maybe you can’t go to Zimbabwe. But who knows? Maybe God has already planned to call your next-door neighbor. Be open to His will, whatever form it may take!
