The Many Faces Of Failure...
What first comes to your mind when you think of failure?
Here are some initial ideas: unkind words, poor behavior, missed deadlines, and loss of trust.
Perhaps some lesser-recognized failures could be: unreceived forgiveness, unrealized potential, procrastination, and stagnation.
My heart is heavy just thinking of categories. There is so much pain and loss in this world.
But take heart friends, there is NOTHING God cannot redeem. He truly wants to meet us right where we are and walk with us toward our best next step.
We are in good company. Let's take a look at a few Biblical characters who walked through some difficult situations, failures even, and moved on to redeemed situations.
Moses took matters into his own hands and tried to become who God wanted him to be his own way. He was too early and he was out of line. He even murdered a man. And yet, he allowed God to process his heart and he was still asked to be the deliverer God had planned for him to be - in God's timing and in God's way.
Joseph overcame serious misunderstanding and abandonment, but he kept his faith and God brought him through to the plans He had for him.
Naomi could have given up after her awful circumstances but she kept her faith and was blessed in her old age to be a part of raising a son who would be in the lineage of Jesus.
Esther had an arranged marriage and God used it for good.
Of course, the list could go on and on. Think of a favorite character of your own. Their life was not without difficulty, but if they remained faithful, walked with the Holy Spirit, and processed what happened, they received the grace and direction needed for what lay ahead.
What have you faced and overcome?
What are you facing right now that you need to process well in order to move on?
- Don't let fear or worry keep you from forward movement.
- Don't let what others have done to you keep you from what God has for you.
- Don't think that anything you have said or done could limit how God could redeem what has happened.
He loves to take our weaknesses and use them as opportunities to show His strength.
He loves to see us receive forgiveness and give it to others. There is great healing there. And forgiveness does its best work when it is unwarranted. (It's always unwarranted.) When we can acknowledge Jesus paid the way and it is not anything we do that deserves forgiveness, we can love more freely and walk in awe of His goodness.
What if we could look at whatever we perceive as failure in us, or in others, as opportunities to experience a closeness with God that we never would have had without the pain? Where there is no hurt there is no opportunity for healing.
True failure is simply not connecting with God no matter what has happened.
Good coaching helps us process our connection with God well. What do you need to process well?
Good Coach Training helps us help others. Who could you help connect with God in the midst of what they are going through. (Is it time to consider Coach Training?)
Oh God, meet us where we are! Open our eyes to see your goodness. Help us process our lives in ways that bring honor to You. And help us to help others to do the same!