Have you ever failed at something you were good at? I think of gymnasts who train and train and train some more. Then at a meet, with medals on the line something goes wrong and their move just doesn’t happen they way they’ve always executed it. I had an experience just this week during an interview for a podcast appearance. I froze. The words weren’t there. I know my material, but you’d never know it. I was crushed.
So, you can imagine the counsel today spoke to me in a big way. Verse 10 says, “If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.” I need to be strong and not let this set back get in my way. You have probably had similar situations. You just want to curl up and hide. But failure will happen. We will stumble. The Christian life is not a road without bumps. Great men and women do not quit. They overcome.
That’s exactly what we need to do. Brush ourselves off and be strong, even when we feel weak. We need to ignore the difficulties, push through our exhaustion, and fight the opposition. We should be prepared for adversity, ready to tackle it. Without adversity, how could we “test” or prove our faith and reliance on God’s power?
Whenever I start down the path toward a pity party for some struggle I am facing or some failure I endured, I think of Job. He is such a great hero of faithfulness. From one adversity to the next, he stood faithful to God. God allowed these trials, but God also sent a rescue and redemption beyond Job’s wildest dreams. God is there for us, too.
The only way I know to stand strong is to call upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I wallow for a bit first, but I know I am never alone in my despair. Take heed the words of Colossians 1:11, “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy…”
I don’t know about you, but when facing a big challenge, I pray and ask God for his strength. I know my strength has its limits, but God’s power is limitless. I never want to fail under pressure. I want to succeed and be able to give God the glory. I think, too, of Gideon making excuses for why he couldn’t have the victory God was asking of him. We do that, too. Our limiting beliefs hold us back from so much greatness.
Take some time today to think about some failures you’ve had during your life. What did you learn from them? What if you had asked God for his strength first? The past is the past. Learn from those experiences. When we can look at our adversity as an opportunity for God to shine through us, it gives us a whole new, fresh way of thinking.
Let’s pray …Lord, I thank you for the adversities in my life. I am especially grateful that you have rescued me time and time again. May I not trust my own strength but wholly rely on you and yours. May people see my failures and successes as the teachable moments you intend them to be. May I be faithful to you every day of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
