It can be pretty hard to handle a big mistake or a failure. We all experience them though and the truth is that, being humans, we will probably continue to do so in future. That means that getting past them is an essential life skill that we all must master if we’re going to have good, productive lives.
The biggest problem with past mistakes or failures is not what they do to your future but what they do to your thoughts. Those toxic thoughts of defeat and hopelessness can actually rob you of your future, and your motivation to move forward, far more than any mistake. So, what do you do when you’re battling the feeling of being defeated? What do you do when you’ve failed? Well, you must focus your thoughts on three very important truths.
1. God Understands
You’ve got to internalize the fact that God truly understands. He understands the situation and He understands you!
On of the problems with a big failure is that they are usually public is some big or small way. This means that you may have disappointed others on top of disappointing yourself. When this happens, you can start to feel like nobody really understands or that nobody cares but no matter what anyone else thinks (including you), God understands and cares. Check out this verse.
“How great God is! His power is absolute! His understanding is unlimited.” Psalm 147:5 (TLB)
He knows how He created you. He also knows what your true potential is. He knows every great gift and dream and calling He’s deposited in you. He also knows all your faults and weaknesses and, when you fail, He totally understands and He’s there for you. He’s not there condemning you. He’s standing right there beside you to support and encourage you.
Don’t run from Him in times of failure. Run to Him! Run with everything that is in you because there you will find understanding and healing.
2. God Saves
It’s certainly awesome that God understands but this second truth is equally important. God loves you so much that He actually steps in when you’ve fallen down. He doesn’t just stand idly by watching from a distance. No, He gets involved. He springs into action. And, amazingly enough, He doesn’t even mind getting dirty to help get you back up again. Check out this verse.
“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Psalm 40:2 (NLT)
Because of His great love for you, He moves and acts on your behalf to help you out when you’re down and out.
3. God Empowers
Throughout it all, it is essential to also keep in mind that He is all powerful too! Check this out.
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind; is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)
Nothing is beyond His power…NOTHING! Your mistakes may be huge. You may have had an epic fail or a string of epic fails but nothing is beyond His ability to redeem, restore or resurrect. You simply mustn’t give up on yourself or your dreams or your goals because of a failure. Instead of focusing on the past, focus on the the future that is available to you because of God’s great power. Focus on what God can still do in your life and through you.
No matter how you might have failed, the key is to focus on and trust in His great love, understand, actions and abilities.
TIP: Use all the verses in this post to help you guide your thoughts and replace negative thoughts with these truths. You might also want to use the following verse as your prayer during hard times…
“God, because of Your great love, answer me. You are truly able to save. Pull me from the mud, and do not let me sink… Do not let the flood drown me.” Psalm 69:13-15 (NCV)