Tag Archives: fear of failure

Overcome Your Failures: They Do NOT Define You!

Overcome your failures: They do NOT define you!

Overcome Your Failures: They Do NOT Define You!

Failures are a common cause of insecurity.  Sometimes these insecurities stem from a fear of failure.  Maybe it’s from previous failures, maybe even a series of them.  Occasionally they may come from failures consisting of bad decisions, wrong living, intentional or even unintentional mistakes, etc.  We occasionally have the misbelief that our failures define us.  They don’t!  Our failures can hinder us and hold us back if we let them, but they don’t have to.  We can learn to overcome them and even use them as a springboard to launch us even further into success.

Failures can teach us.

Failures can teach us.

King David’s sin and failures (adultery and murder) haunted him:  “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.” Psalm 51:3 (NLT)  Our failures often haunt us.  In fact, the devil loves to keep us in this exact position.  Another word for it is self-condemnation.  The devil wants us to believe that we ARE a failure because we have failed.  He loves to keep us in torment over our mistakes.  He wants us to believe that we will never be enough because of what we have done.  The good news is that God says the complete opposite…

“… And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”” John 8:11 (ESV)

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 (NIV)

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (NLT)

God won’t write us off

God won’t write us off. He didn’t write David off, even though he was an adulterer and murderer.

He didn’t write Paul off, even though he was a sworn enemy of Jesus and murderer of Christians.

God won’t write YOU off, regardless of your failures!

God is omniscient (all-knowing).  He already knew Continue reading

When You Fall or Fail Get Back Up!

When You Fall or Fail Get Back Up!

When You Fall or Fail Get Back Up!

Sometimes we are our own biggest critic and condemner when fall short, fail, and or make mistakes. We may even have a tendency to give up and stay down once we’ve fallen. However God wants us to get back up and keep going. He’s not mad or angry. He’s not discouraged or disappointed. In fact, God is our biggest cheerleader!

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a (ESV)

“Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” Psalm 56:9 (NIV)

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NIV)

“The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Psalm 118:6 (NLT)

“But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NLT)

I’ve mentioned before that Joe McGee often says, “We’re not the perfect people, we’re the getting back up people!”

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” Proverbs 24:16 (NLT)

God cheers us on even more if we fall or fail

God is our Father, and he a good father, a good parent…even better than we could ever be.

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11 (NLT)

Subsequently which of us would kick or discourage a child when he’s down? That would be a pretty awful parent to do something like that, right? So why would we expect God to do something like that?

I recently heard someone say that if a child is running in a race but then falls in the middle of the race, the parent would never say, “You’re so stupid. How could you do that? What’s the point of even trying now? You might as well go ahead and give up.” That’s when a parent starts cheering even louder and encouraging them even more… “Get back up! You can do it! You’ve got this!”

That’s how God is. God cheers us on even more when we fall or fail.

It also reminds me of my son pitching at a baseball game. If he’s pitching well and throwing strikes but then starts throwing balls instead of strikes, that’s the time I start cheering him on a little more.

God won’t kick us when we’re down. If we mess up, sin, or fail in some way, he is cheering us on even more…”Don’t give up! You’ve got this! You can do it! You’re not alone—I’m right here with you!”

A fall or fail is not the end or a death sentence

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