What should Christians think about failure?

We're in the middle of a series where we're exploring what you should think about key topics as a faithful person. This week we're talking about failure.

Let's start with a couple of questions for you to think about to get you warmed up. If you're the journaling type, maybe you want to try to answer these in your journal. I don't know. It's up to you.

• What role has failure played in your life?

• What have you learned from your failures?

• Have you ever interpreted something as a failure and then later changed your mind?

• What do you think God thinks of failure?

– What would God consider "failure"?

The Bible and Failure

Let's start with scripture. For starters, the Bible has very little to say about failure, at least directly. On the one hand, we might assume this means scripture isn't incredibly concerned with failure. That's probably the easy way out. However, this probably does tells us that modern people are far more interested in failure than, well, "ancient" hearers of scripture. We might benefit greatly from asking ourselves why that might be the case. But don't worry- that's what I'm here for.

There are a few things that could be interpreted as failures in scripture. For one, anytime someone disobeys a direct order from God, like Jonah, who was told to visit Ninevah and tell the people to repent. Jonah refused. God used his means to go and find Jonah and send him to Ninevah anyway. Ultimately, Jonah "failed" to heed God's instruction, but God did what God wanted to do anyway. That's how God is with plans- when he has a specific one in mind he accomplishes it regardless of what the other person does. In such cases, failure is just delaying the inevitable. It's not really a problem. Bear in mind- Jonah was visited directly by the word of God. I wouldn't spend much time thinking, "Have a disobeyed a direct command from God?" if you can help it. If you haven't heard God's voice literally...then this probably isn't super applicable.

We could also interpret the Israelites "drifting" from God's way of life as a kind of failure (that resulted in the exile). Throughout the prophets God reminds Israel that they drifted too far for too long. Examples of this are: not caring for the poor among them (widows and orphans), not accomplishing justice and mercy, worshipping gods other than God (or, to put it differently, looking for things other than God to provide solutions to problems), and so on. These examples might be more applicable to us- but we need to remember they are communal failures rather than individual failures. American Christians are not known for their acute sense of justice or mercy, or love, or forgiveness, as much as we might like to be. In this way, as a group, we have quite likely failed.

Another example might be the disciples' anxiety about Jesus' ability to do what he says he's going to do. Mind you, we're not talking about anxiety in general, we're talking about anxiety about God in the flesh and his ability to follow through on his word.

Of course, the Bible also talks about failure when it comes to ministry (albeit in a roundabout way). The disciples are instructed to dust their sandals off and move on if their ministry isn't striking a chord with the people they are visiting. In a way, we might say scripture is pretty relaxed about the whole thing. It takes for granted that failure is going to happen and suggests the appropriate response is just to keep moving forward.

Also- Christ's death would have been considered a failure- and was by many, including many of his followers. He didn't establish a new kingdom or new rulers or lead anyone into battle, and so on. In fact, as a leader, people kept walking away from Jesus the more they learned about his message. In that way- Jesus was leading a dying church. We wouldn't exactly call this a success. In a culture that teaches us that good faith leads to more, more, more, we should be shocked to read passages like this. Jesus' own ministry was never about more, more, more.

Lastly- Jesus was not infinitely available- frequently taking time to rest and recharge and pray as needed. He did not heal or talk to everyone, and at times left people disappointed as a result. This would also not count as much of a ministry blueprint today: a leader who walked away, didn't finish the work, and was willing to disappoint. I don't care what you've heard- Jesus was not an Enneagram 2.

Failing at Life

The Bible doesn't talk much, if at all, about material success or success and work. That's typically what us modern readers think of when we think of failure: we think of our work and our accomplishments. We don't think so much about our level of reliance on God, or our trust in him, or about the ways in which we can accomplish justice or extend mercy, or whether our lives, on the whole, are reflecting the love of God.

Even if we did- we might still be afraid. We might be afraid that the type of love we put into the world doesn't measure up, that it doesn't reflect God's love at all. We might be afraid that our type of love would barely qualify as love in the first place. This is what I think about after a hard day. The kind of day where I've been cold to my wife and impatient with my child. Forget accomplishments- I don't have any of those to begin with. If I also fail at love...well...surely I'm in trouble. Maybe I am.

There are different kinds of failures in life. Sometimes we're not able to accomplish things we want to accomplish, and that feels like a failure. Sometimes we don't act in accordance with who we feel like we are, or we want to be. This also feels like a failure.

What do we do with this?

Well there's a few things. We can of course, look for opportunities to learn and grow. We can view failure as feedback that helps us know what we want to focus on or work on, it lets us know where we stand relative to where we want to be.

There's also the issue of what God is looking for. And it's my belief that God is looking for us to try. To put ourselves out there. To attempt to reflect his love as we can, where we can. Falling short is not a failure, because His love isn't dependent on our success, but on our willingness to put in the effort.

In times like these, we remember the below words from Paul, words that remind us that no one is perfect, no one has it all together. No one, not even the original minster to the Gentiles, is able to live a life free from failure. These words remind us that failure need not be our focus. Our focus is on trying, and learning to accept the ways in which we fall short just as God accepts the ways in which we fall short. Paul's message is not that faith makes us stronger or more successful, but that God uses those who seem "weak" (like Jonah) to accomplish his purposes as he sees fit, regardless of their qualifications.

It doesn't matter to God whether or not we're failures- it matters that we're useful. And you are, because all things are useful to God (especially when he decides he has a specific plan for them).

 7 I was given a thorn in my body because of the outstanding revelations I’ve received so that I wouldn’t be conceited. It’s a messenger from Satan sent to torment me so that I wouldn’t be conceited.

8 I pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me alone. 9 He said to me, “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me. 10 Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, CEB