Failure Can Be Good For You

"Whoever hides his sin can never prosper." Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

We normally think of failure as something negative. But wise people know how to take
advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it for education. One of the main tools that
God uses in your life to make you what He wants you to be is failure.

How can failure be good?

•God uses failure to educate us.

Mistakes are simply learning experiences. Some lessons can only be learned through failure.
The Bible says: "Whoever hides his sin can never prosper" Proverbs 28:13 (NIV). If you are not
making any mistakes, you are not learning. If you're not taking any risks, you're not growing.
Freeing yourself from the fear of failure is the freedom to grow.

•God uses failure to motivate us. "Punishment takes away the bad from the wicked, because
punishment makes people change" Proverbs 20:30 (PDT). We often change when we feel the
heat, not when we see the light. When you fail, perhaps God is trying to get your attention to
move you in a new direction.

•God uses failure to build our character.

“We are happy when facing tests and difficulties because we know that they help us to
develop resistance. And endurance develops strength of character…” Romans 5:3-4 (NLT).
Failure has a way of softening our hearts. It helps us to grow and be mature. It makes us
sensitive to others. It makes us less critical and helps us to be a little more understanding of
the people around us who are suffering.
Failure does not automatically grow your character. For some, failure only brings bitterness.
Failure only grows your character when you respond to it correctly and learn from it.
Reflect on this :

How has a failure motivated you to make a move or transition that ended up being a good
thing?
Think of one of your worst failures. What did you learn from him?
How have you seen your character or another person's character transformed by failure?