Using Failure to Learn and Grow

In review of Proverbs 28:13 it reminds me that “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” (TLB).

Proverbs 28:13

I’ll never succeed in life if I try to hide my sins or mistakes. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy.

It's natural to hide or overlook my mistakes. But it is hard to learn from a mistake if I don't acknowledge making it. What good is it if it doesn't teach me something? To learn from an error I need to admit it, analyze it, and make adjustments so that it doesn't happen again. Everybody makes mistakes, but only fools repeat them. I don't always need to have to be right to feel good about myself. I need to be willing to reconsider, to admin when I'm wrong and to change my plans when needed. The first step toward forgiveness is confession.

Failure is usually thought of a negative. But wise people have learned how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education. One of the primary tools that God uses in my life to make me what he wants me to be, is failure.

So how can failure be good? God uses failure to educate me. Mistakes are simply learning experiences. Some lessons can only be learned through failure. The Bible says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” (Proverbs 28:13 TLB). If I’m not making mistakes, I’m not learning. If I’m not taking any risks, I’m not growing. The freedom from the fear of failure is the freedom to grow.

God uses failure to motivate me. “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways” (Proverbs 20:30 GNT). Often I change when I feel the heat, not when I see the light. When I fail, maybe God's trying to get my attention to move in a new direction.

God uses failure to build my character. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character” (Romans 5:3-4 TLB). Failure has a way of softening my heart. It helps me grow up and be mature. It makes me sensitive to others. It makes me less judgmental and helps me be a little more sympathetic to people around me who are hurting.

Failure doesn’t automatically grow my character. It only builds it when I respond to it correctly and learn from it.

Bottom Line:

Admit your mistakes and learn from them. Then your will be successful.

What this means to me:

If I refuse to admit my mistake, I can never be successful.

In summary, success comes from admitting my sins or mistakes. If I confess them and give them up, then God will show me mercy. I don't always need to be right to feel good about myself. Wise people have learned now to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. It's one of the tools God uses to make me what he wants me to be. So God uses failure to educate me, to motivate me, and to build my character. But it will only build me if I respond to it correctly and learn from it.

Through today’s study and time, I believe God is preparing me for something coming up, but also to think back about things that have happened. What can I learn from them? Have I responded to them correctly? This morning Father I pray you help me think clearly about events in my life. Are there things recently I need to re-think and learn from? Also help me to respond if something does occur. I also ask you for your wisdom and guidance for my day, for my tasks, for my leadership and to help me respond correctly to those around me. I pray this through your Son Jesus name, amen.