I had a prophecy over me once, that there would be times when I would feel an absolute failure, but this would be Gods guard upon my spirit to keep me from pride. I didn’t know whether to feel good or bad about that prophecy! Failure often destroys self-confidence. We are not self-made men and we are not self sufficient. Nothing helps us to see our self more accurately, than failure.

The prodigal son saw himself in a much more accurate light, after he failed. The oldest son seemingly without failure, ends up graceless, loveless and bitter. How often has the failure of someone, worked a work of grace in a person’s life to such a degree, that their usefulness to man and God is taken to levels which could never have been possible before their fall. The real benefit of failure, is the ‘recognizing the weakness of self. Pride and self-confidence can be dealt with by God and failure often opens a person up to the possibility of help from others. Failure worked for good in Peter’s life, to rid him of his self-confidence and to thrust him upon the Lord. Failure is something God can use to bring about a greater quality of union with Christ and gives us a better perspective about the weakness of the human vessel.

In all it seems often that the humility and character of Christ is more able to be forged on the anvil of human failure, than it is by a perfect record of performance. Jonah had great revival after his failure. Peter became a nation shaker and even Samson saw things very differently after his failure and delivered the nation.
Friend, failure is not a person, it is an event! It can even be an important event, that opens us up to more of God’s love and power than ever before.