When You Are Facing Failure

What is failure? For some it is not living up to certain expectations, to be a disappointment. It may be a breakdown in our lives, it may be a let down. There was once a man who said, “We are either failing, or living with the consequences of failure, or recovering from failure, or facing failure in the face, or living with the fear of failure.” Some of may be feeling like we are failing now, some of us are living with the consequences of past failures, and some of us may be living in the fear of failing. We may be failing in what we should be doing, or we may be failing in doing what we shouldn’t. Others may know about your failures, or maybe only God knows. We may feel that we are failures as parents, or as spouses. We may feel that we are failures as examples that we should be. In almost any area of our lives, we can feel like a failure. The prophet Micah knew about failure. He said, “when I fall,” not “if I fall”. Pro 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. I want to share with you 3 truths about failure that will be a help to you. This is a major message from a minor prophet.

I. SEE THE FAMILIARITY OF FAILURE.

1. Failure is not something that is uncommon. Failure is not something that only a certain few ever experience but it is common to everyone.

2. We tend to view just a few that we label as having failed. And then we see those that just seem to ooze confidence, we think that these never fail.

3. One of Satan’s chief deceptions is to make failure seem unusual. That’s why he works on us so much when we do fail, that’s why he tells us that we have really messed things up now, that nobody has ever failed like we have failed.

4. We tend to think of failure only in materialistic ways. When someone files bankruptcy, they are seen as being failures at managing money, or whenever someone’s marriage falls apart, society labels them as a failure at relationships.

5. However, there is one area in each of our lives where each person, regardless of financial security, regardless of social economic status, or regardless of family relationships, is a failure.

6. This area is not an area that’s un-important, it is extremely important and it is the most overlooked area in our lives. It is the only area that has the eternal consequences that it has. I’m talking about fulfilling God’s perfect plan for our lives.

7. You see, everyone, at some point in their lives, has failed God.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

8. You may remember that just a couple of weeks ago, I talked about the definition of sin, how that it means to “miss the mark”. God has set a perfect standard, or mark that we must measure up to, however, because of sin, we all miss that mark and fail God.

9. Adam and Eve failed God, Noah through drunkenness, failed God, Abraham, through fear, failed God, Moses, through impatience, failed God, David, through lust, failed God and also as a father, was a failure. Every man, every woman, regardless of how great we want to make them out to be, has failed God. Failure is common to all of us for all of us here tonight, either through word, thought, or deed, has failed God. The enemy that we have, the enemy that Micah mentions who rejoices at our failure and greatly desires it, seeks to do all that he can so that we will live our lives bound by failure.

II. SEE THE FIERCENESS OF FAILURE.

1. No one waits in line to be a failure. You will never hear any child state that they hope to grow up and be a failure.

A. Failure can be fierce for it leads to fear.

1. In 1st Samuel 17:11, Goliath and the Philistines challenged the armies of Israel every day. 1 Samuel 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

2. Why did Saul do nothing? When he was anointed king, he attacked and destroyed the Ammonrites in a great act of bravery. Yet now he trembles just like the rest of Israel. Why? Because he has already failed God and is living in the bondage of his failure.

3. Failure robs confidence and faith so much so that some become fearful of even trying again.

4. When Adam failed God, he was afraid to face Him as He walked in the cool of the day. When Peter denied Christ, he wept bitterly instead of standing up for Him.