Abraham Lincoln once said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
Complacency amid failure keeps us stuck, but learning from our mistakes pushes us into eventual success. This get-back-up, teachable attitude is called resilience.
Resilience is vital for all success in every area of life. We could spend hours discussing tips for becoming resilient, but we’d get nowhere without one specific first-step. Honesty.
To advance from failure with a developing resilience, we first have to be honest with ourselves. We must ask questions like, Why did I fail, and How can I do better next time?
We also have to be honest about who we are despite our failures. We must remember that making a mistake doesn’t mean we are one. God is merciful and loving, always leading us back on the path of blessing and progress, no matter how many times we stray.
God’s story for our lives will always be greater than the one we tell ourselves. His story will always call us a victor—not a victim. It’ll always call us a masterpiece—not a mistake.
The problem is that many of us struggle to see from God’s perspective. We call ourselves what we see or what others see, not what He sees. This has been one of humans’ prominent struggle for thousands of years. Let’s look at some biblical examples.
Gideon felt he wasn’t good enough to do what God asked of him (Judges 6:15). Abraham and Sarah thought they were too old to have children (Genesis 18:12-15). Peter pridefully saw himself as much more devoted to Jesus than he actually was (Matthew 26:34-35), and Moses assumed his past prohibited him from being used by God (Exodus 3:11).
Once these people embraced honesty about the wrong narratives they had adopted, they were open to seeing things God’s way. Then, as they consistently chose God’s view of their story, their lives eventually became pictures of resilience, singing of the glory and goodness of God.
So, if you feel stuck in your failure today, take heart! Like these heroes of our faith, we can all grow through what we go through and live out the beautiful story God has planned for us.
To do so, we’ll have to learn from these heroes. We’ll have to first assume responsibility for our thoughts, demolishing any that aren’t from Christ and making them obedient to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Then we’ll have to ask the tough questions—to pray like King David did in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Finally, we’ll have to make the adjustments God reveals, continually aligning our thoughts with His. Friends, together, let’s commit to developing true resilience in 2024. Let’s decide that whatever this year brings, we’ll continually choose God’s story over our own. His ways are always higher!
