Experiencing Victory Over Failure

Experiencing Victory Over Failure

Study Text: Micah 7: 7 - 8

Introduction:

- Failure is something we all experience at different times and for various reasons, irrespective of our achievement, wealth, status, education or influence.

- Failure can take many forms. There are vocational failures, relational failures, character failures, physical failures and spiritual failures.

- When any of these happen in our lives, not only can we feel like we have failed, but we can feel like we are failures.

- Failure is an event, not a person. Your response to failure determines your level of success and accomplishment in life. It determines who you become as a person but more importantly, who you become in Christ.

- There are several examples of people, both in the Bible and in our generation, who have failed and risen above it to become something better and greater thereafter.

- But unfortunately, there are also people who have failed and it has kept them down and they became only a shadow of what they could have been.

- Failure happens to all of us, so we need to know how to respond to failure as follower of Christ. Because your response determines the path of your life and spiritual growth.

- We shall be discussing the topic under three subheadings:

1. The Realities of Failure

2. The Reasons for Failure

3. The Rising from Failure

1. The Realities of Failure.

- The longer you live, the more you will have to deal with failure. This is because life is full of challenges, difficulties and ups and downs. It is not a curse to fail, but it may be a curse not to rise after failure.

- The key to overcoming failure is to recognize that failure is not the end of life, and it can also be beneficial.

- God wants us to learn from our failures. He especially wants us to learn not to make the same mistake again. That was the experience of Peter, after he denied Christ three times.

- There are many things you can do to the glory of God. But if you let failure in one area or the other discourages you, you will never accomplish great achievement that you might have if you had not given in to the failure.

- All human beings fail in one area or the other, at one time or the other. God is fully aware of your limitations. Psalm 103:14

- God knows our limitations, and we must accept them as well. True success is not avoiding failure, but learning what to do with it.

- It is better to attempt things and fail, than never to attempt anything because you are afraid to fail. We never learn the limits of our ability until we reach the point of total failure.

- Fear is more damaging than failure. Worrying about what might go wrong will prevent you from moving ahead. Stop being afraid of failure and determine to succeed.

- Focus on your goals, not on your fears. Move ahead with determination. Many worthwhile achievements involve taking some risks. 2 Timothy 1:7

- Many people never overcome their failures because they never forgive themselves for failing. Instead of moving beyond failure to success, they continue to punish themselves with self-inflicted guilt. Isaiah 43: 18 - 19.

- To fail is not to be a failure. Everyone fails in one area or the other, sooner or later. The key to success is determining how you will handle your failure.

- If you try to hide it, it will haunt you. If you admit and confess it, you can conquer it. Forgive yourself and accept God’s forgiveness wherever and whenever necessary, as a genuine expression of His grace.

- Some people think they have failed, when in fact they simply have not recognized their limitations. God has given you certain gifts and abilities, which are different from that of others.

- You should realize that you may not be able to do everything you plan or wish to do, but you can do something that God enables you to do.

- Identify what you can do effectively, and concentrate your efforts on that, trusting in the grace of God to succeed. Stop worrying about what you cannot do.

2. The Reasons for Failure:

- We all experience setbacks, defeats, disappointments, losses and failures in certain areas of our lives. We all make mistakes at various point in time, even as we seek to serve God.

- The first thing to do when you are faced with any failure is to discover the reason why it happened. There are various possible reasons why people fail, some of which are:

1. Lack of Adequate Planning.

- If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. Proverbs 27:12