HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 120
page A118
Failure See also Mistakes; Sin; Success
To fail is to fall short, to be perceived as weak, to break down, to fall, to not reach your
purpose, to lack success. No wonder we are all so afraid of failure! When it comes to
failure, we must decide whose rules we are playing by. Would you rather be a success in
business and a failure as a parent, or vice versa? Would you rather be successful by the
world’s standards or God’s? Now is the time to decide what definitions of success and
failure you will live by.
What is failure in God’s eyes?
• E X O DU S 3 4 :6 -7 | The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and
faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion,
and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.”
• MA L A C H I 3 :5 | “At that time I will put you on trial. . . . I will speak against those who cheat
employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners
living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s
Armies.
• H E B R E W S 3 :1 2 | Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own
hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.
F
Failure in God’s eyes is not living the way he created you to live, never acknowledging him
as creator of all, and rejecting him. God gave you the gift of life, and he created you to
have a relationship with him. Your greatest failure would be to reject that way of life and to
reject the God who gave you life.
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When it comes to failure, what is one thing I can count on?
• 2 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 2 :9 | Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best
in weakness.” (See note on page 1055.)
One thing is certain: We must all learn to live with failure. We all fail. We all have weaknesses.
The key to strong character is how we live with failure.
What are some ways to prevent failure?
• 1 C H R O NI C L E S 2 8 :2 0 | “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or
discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
He will see to it that all the work . . . is finished correctly.” (See note on page 381.)
Courage and perseverance help prevent failure, especially if we know that God approves
of the task we are doing.
• PR O V E R B S 1 5 :2 2 | Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. (See
note on page 571.)
Good advice helps prevent failure. Asking for counsel from several advisers is more likely
to bring success.
• L A ME NTAT I O NS 3 :2 3 | Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(See note on page 724.)
God’s great faithfulness is like a fresh batch of bread delivered daily to sustain us. It not only
helps prevent failure but also helps us start over after we have failed. And he extends his
faithfulness in greater measure to those who sincerely and consistently try to follow him.
• 2 C H R O NI C L E S 1 2 :1 | But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he
abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.
Living by God’s Word will help prevent a great deal of failure.
How do I move ahead after I’ve failed?
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 0 :6 -7 | These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not
crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did.
Remember that failure can be helpful; it can teach us important lessons about what to avoid
in the future. We need not repeat our mistakes!