Failure Is Not Who You Are

Failure is an event. Failure is not who you are. Thomas Edison said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

A friend of mine played high school football. In one game, his team lost by one point. The fans blamed him for the loss and vandalized his home by scrawling nasty names on the windows of his house. The insults dug deep into his heart. When he awoke the following morning, the graffiti had been washed off the windows. His father explained, “I did not want you to see those names again. That is not who you are—you’re my son and I’m proud of you.”

And that’s how God feels about you and me! His Word says this about us; “Do not be afraid…I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God…You are honored, and I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:1-5 NLT).

When I was a young man, those scriptures spoken prophetically into my life gave me the faith to go on after I felt like a failure. I was in God’s training school, learning that failure is only an event, not who I am.

The freedom to make mistakes is encouraged in the business world. That’s why new inventions and building prototypes require a process of trial and error. From God’s perspective, the same reality applies to us.

Have you experienced a failure that has discouraged you or caused you to quit trying? Learn from your mistake and start again.

Today is a new day, with limitless possibilities! Allow God to turn your mistakes and momentary failures into learning experiences. Remember, failure is only an event—it is not who you are.