Have you ever felt like a failure?
You didn’t get the job.
You didn’t pass the test.
They chose the other person.
They walked away anyway.
Yeah, me too.
As a recovering perfectionist, it’s easy to find myself trapped by the fear of failure. I’ve felt its sting & embarrassment and being the smarty pants I am, I quickly discovered how to protect myself…play it safe.
Never take the risk.
Never volunteer.
Never offer the idea.
Never speak up.
Hmmm, safe yes. Healthy, not so much.
Let’s go back to elementary grammar class for a second. Hey don’t tune out! I promise this will be important in a second. Remember nouns & verbs? Nouns are the subject of a sentence while verbs describe an action or state of being.
According to Merriam Webster, failure is a noun, while fail is a verb.
I am a failure.
vs
I failed at __________.
See the difference?
Too often, we use the noun and in turn give ourselves a new identity…FAILURE.
You are NOT a failure!
Did you hear me? Let me say it again…
YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!
Your identity is not the sum total of your mistakes.
Yes, it’s true. You will fail.
I fail all the time.
I forget an appointment.
I say something hurtful.
I burn dinner.
I text a message to the wrong person(which is always a fun one).
No one’s perfect. Failing is a part of life. Ouch! That’s SO hard to embrace. It’s a constant reminder that I’m not able to do things in my own strength. I need Jesus. I need grace, mercy and forgiveness. I need to extend it to others. I need to extend it to the face in the mirror.
It [Failure] is a constant reminder that I’m not able to do things in my own strength. I need Jesus. I need grace, mercy and forgiveness. I need to extend it to others. I need to extend it to the face in the mirror.
Can I encourage you today? When you mess up (and you WILL mess up), don’t let it derail you. Don’t let it define you. Remember who you are and WHO’s you are.
What is your response when you fail?
Comment below . Let’s Talk About That…