Finding Peace in Failure: The Strength of Christ

By: Molly Kreikemeier

In life, failure is inevitable. Whether it's a failed test, a miscommunication, a lack of productivity, or, most often, a lack of faith, we all experience failure. These moments can be discouraging, even leading us to question our worthiness of God's love. Often, we believe that we must be perfect to earn God's favor, leading us to these overwhelming thoughts. During these times, we might avoid God, or we might even feel that God has failed us by not fulfilling our desires despite our efforts. However, we should remember that God's rewards may not always be what we expect. Maybe the reward is a closer relationship with God or protection against harm. It's important to remember that failure is not final. God's unconditional love means exactly that, unconditional. We can turn to God when our faith fails, when we feel inadequate, or when life seems impossible. We must abandon the notion that God only seeks a relationship with only the righteous. In the Bible, Jesus proves to us that he came to call the broken. Jesus chose to sit with sinners, forgive betrayers, and love others in their darkest moments.

The Bible gives us the following verses to help us overcome our failures:

-"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day." (Psalm 46:5) This verse reminds us that God is always present in our lives and through him we will not fall. Through God’s presence, we can find stability and security.

- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26) This verse reminds us that even when we fail, we have the strength of God within us forever. We can be resilient because God is there to guide us during times of trial.

-"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) This verse encourages us to rely on Christ's strength to overcome any obstacle. It also serves as a reminder that no obstacle is too difficult to overcome.

Recently, I went through my own series of failures; these failures, specifically the driving test, shifted my perspective of myself. Despite my hard work and practice, I left the DMV disappointed. It was hard to focus on anything else, and I felt that I had disappointed those around me. But I realized that it doesn't have to define me. While I have yet to get my license, I trust that whatever happens is in accordance with God's plan. From now on, I am not going to let this singular failure overshadow my blessings and my accomplishments, and I will continue to find strength in God to keep moving forward.

It’s essential that instead of focusing on reversing failures, we focus on finding peace with them by turning to God. Remember the verses above, and remember how Moses repeatedly doubted God's call, yet God still guided him to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Also, David repeatedly sinned and God forgave him. God doesn't abandon the broken, and He doesn't define us by our failures, so we shouldn't either. We can find peace in our failures by recognizing God's constant presence, trusting in His strength, and remembering that He loves us unconditionally, even when we fail.