When Failure Leads to Faith

As far back as I can think, there has always been a chip on my shoulder. That chip solely coming from being told all the things that I would never in the early days of my life:

He’ll never feed himself.

Never write.

Never go to a normal school.

Never graduate.

Never be a fully functioning independent adult.

That constant doubt of my abilities cultivated a heart in me that relentlessly sought to prove my doubters wrong. “I’ll show them. I can do this,” was the anthem of the first 10 years of my life while I tried to figure out how to live as an armless man in a world made for people with arms. I know that sort of inner push is what allowed me to be the man that I am today.

There is, however, some significant drawbacks to that sort of thinking as I grew older. The line of thinking that pushed me to say, “I’ve got this” as I tried to figure out how to feed myself or learn to write also became the mantra when it came to my spiritual life. When I faced all sorts of trials, discouragements or struggles I would find myself going back to the same life motto that pulled me through so many other issues. In becoming a man who was fiercely independent, I had become far too self-reliant when it came to my faith.

I was wanting to pursue Christ with everything that I had, I was going to do everything in my power to make it happen. The problem with that whole last sentence is there is way too much of an emphasis on “I.” Growing in Christ was going to mean that I had to depend on Christ as my everything. In the years to come there were some incredible lessons that God wrote on my heart that I’d like to share with you.

You will fail

The sobering reality that comes as we charge forward with the “I’ve got this” mantra is that sooner or later – you don’t have it. You will stumble. You will exhaust all your grit and grind. Your will to keep going will eventually crumble. The wild thing is that this is not just a you thing, this is an every human being thing. We all will exhaust our resources and strength, which is why Asaph remind us that, “My flesh and my heart may fail.” (Psalm 73:25) We are living on borrowed time when it comes to depending on our own strength.

Yet, in those moments we come to a necessary truth – I am finite, feeble and weak. These moments expose the lie of The Garden that man can be like God. My frailty exposes my need for help because I will reach the limits of my own strength time and time again. But who in the world is going to deal with my stumbling self? Who is going to pick me up time and time again?

He won’t fail

Asaph is quick to point out how feeble man is when he comes face to face with the afflictions of this life…but in the greater content of that sentence he vividly paints the picture of where his help and hope comes from.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

~ Psalm 73:25-26

Asaph comes face to face with his own inadequacy and starts to look around for any help and hope He can find. As he looks to the heavens, he sees his only hope and the One that He loves more than anything else. God has stayed beside him through all his hurt and fear but He is also the One who will establish Asaph and provide him the strength to press forward for whatever will come His way next.

That divine promise of presence and power is not just for Asaph. It is a promise that you see repeated throughout the course of Scripture.

“I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.” ~ Joshua 1:5b-6

God follows through on what He says. If He promised it then it will happen. God has a legacy of proof and all we need to do is to check the timeline of Scripture to see promises on promises that faithfully and powerfully follows through on. Even though I will fail, He never will.

God’s got you

Our failure is a guarantee…but so are His promises to stand beside you and provide you with what you need to stand the test that you find yourself in right now. God is not only faithful and powerful but He is loving and benevolent.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:19

Every need that you have in your life that stands in the way of you bearing His glory in all the world – He will take care of it. It is not a matter of your doing more or trying harder that will get you through what you are face to face with. He is the One you need to trust. The last person you need to depend on is you.

How do we get to have such powerful providence in our life? Again, we do not earn it or work up enough good to attain this grace. All we have to do is trust Him and ask. As we do that He not only provides for His children but He lavishes grace on us that we can barely even comprehend:

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

~ Ephesians 3:20-21

God’s got your back – and even more than that – He has things in store for you that you cannot even imagine. So, as the trials and hurts of life start to wash over you know that you have an Advocate, Helper, and Friend who is waiting on you to ask for Him to step in. In these times you will be able to truly know who He is and how deep His character really goes. Trust and ask. God’s got this.