Oh No! - Encouragement Café - June 19

Oh No!
 By Jamy Whitaker

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Imagine for a moment that you are making matches, crushing candy and then suddenly you are surrounded by chocolate and out of moves. Before you know it, the scene level FAILED appears. Your heart sinks so quickly from hero to zero. The good news is, with one click, you can reset the game and start over. If only life were that easy.

Success and failure is not limited to the confines of computer games. No, the world is obsessed with success and fears failing more than anything. There is an inherent desire to succeed, which is why there are countless self-help books lining the shelves of bookstores everywhere.

However, Teddy Roosevelt said it best, “The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” You see, failure is a reality of life. We will all face it at one time or another or even many times over the course of a single day. The question remains, how will we handle it?

Several great figures in the Bible experience failure – Abraham, Moses, David, and Peter, but that didn’t keep them from effective service for God.

Not only did they each recover, but chose to use the experience as a tool for growth. Each one of these men learned from their mistakes and failures. They didn’t become defined by them.

Think about an adorable little child with chubby little legs just learning to walk. He or she will be unsteady and will take a tumble now and again. Unless that little one chooses to keep trying, he had better be content to sit on the floor for the rest of his life.

Similar to a loving parent, God reaches down in grace and love and picks us up when we fall, dusts us off and sets us on our way. Most importantly, He doesn’t see us in a different light. He still loves, forgives, and accepts us.

The world today has a wrong view of failure. So many people see it as the worst possible thing that could happen in their life. Fear begins to creep in and take over. Often someone will avoid a task or opportunity so as not to face failure.

They equate failing with being a failure. In Christ, however, we are overcomers. You and I are not defined by what we do, but who we are in Christ.

Keep in mind, failure does not need to be fatal!  Just reach out and accept God’s grace and love. Allow the mistakes to make you stronger, not define you.

Today, I would like you to focus on how much God loves and accepts you and not on your shortcomings. Spend a little time looking up verses about how God truly feels about you.

You can look in a concordance or Google words like loved, accepted or treasured by God. Share a verse that you found in the comment section that brings you comfort and peace when things go wrong.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You today thanking You for choosing me even when I make mistakes and fail. So often I forget that no matter what I do or how I feel about myself, You have chosen me and You love me. Armed with that knowledge, I ask that You help me to walk boldly after You. I pray that I no longer let fears, insecurities and doubts rule my life. I long to see success and failure from Your perspective not mine. Give me the wisdom and strength to use my missteps as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. In Your Precious Name, Amen.

© 2019 by Jamy Whitaker.  All rights reserved.

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