A New Perspective On Failure

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. (Proverbs 24:16)
 
We all make mistakes. We’ve missed the mark at one time or another. Scripture reminds us of this inevitable fact when it says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Some mistakes are big, with huge consequences and implications, and others are small. But we all make mistakes, nonetheless.  
 
It doesn’t matter who you are, what your position or title is, regardless of your age or stage of life, mistakes are an equal opportunity employer. And while mistakes are unavoidable, we would be wise to still try to avoid them, because the fact of the matter is, the mistakes we make can have huge consequences for our lives.  
 
But as significant as our mistakes may be, they don’t have to be the end of us. They do not have to signal the death nail into the coffin of our dreams, our ambitions, or our aspirations. If we view them properly, they can be used as lessons to fuel us, rather than as failures to bury us.  
 
In his book Failing Forward, John Maxwell writes, “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception and response to failure…your life can change if you’re willing to look at failure differently. You have the potential to overcome any problems, mistakes, or misfortunes. All you have to do is learn to fail forward.”  
 
This idea is captured in our key verse today, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again” (Proverbs 24:16). In other words, falling is inevitable. It will happen no matter how much we try to avoid it. We can fall spiritually, emotionally, professionally, academically, or morally. But no matter how we fall, or how many times we fall, we can rise again by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  
 
My encouragement to you today is to not let your mistakes keep you on the ground. When you fall, don’t stay down. No matter how big your mistake may be, make the decision to rise again. It will be a decision you won’t regret.