The writer of Hebrews said: ‘I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets…whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies’ (vv. 32-34 NIV). Some of the biggest success stories in Scripture are about people who struggled with weaknesses and character flaws. They were caught in what looked like failure and defeat, but by God’s grace they overcame the obstacles and the odds stacked against them. The overriding theme of the Bible is resurrection – getting back up again! Have a think about this question: if you can’t avoid failure, and you’re not supposed to give in to it or let it colour your thinking, how do you handle it? First, change your attitude. Cartoon character Homer Simpson summarised the attitude of many of us when he said, ‘Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is – never try.’ It goes without saying that Homer is a classic underachiever! In another episode, he says, ‘Trying is the first step toward failure.’ The truth is, Homer never tries, so like many real people, he stays stuck. The people who succeed in life have faith and tenacity. They refuse to give up; they have decided not to let failure defeat them. Think about the words ‘whose weakness was turned to strength’. You might start out weak, but by God’s grace, you can become strong. You can rise from the ashes of failure, achieve your goals, and live the life God intends. How do we know this is possible? Because God’s Word says so!
