This week's topic in the Proverbs 31 Bible Study discusses the "F" word FAILURE. This word has been a struggle for me as long as I can remember. I can so easily think I am a failure. It may be from something as huge as back in the 90's when I dropped out of college my senior year or it could be from something as simple as forgetting to take out the trash. I can be really hard on myself. It is especially hard when I find myself overloaded. I am a perfectionist and want to do everything so perfect, but when there is too much going on it is impossible to give everything 100%. I beat myself up into thinking I am no good and then I start seeing every little area of my life where I could be failing, even though I am not.
This week I was just reminded that the condemnation we feel is not from God. Romans 8:1 says that he will never condemn us for our failures. That is HUGE! We may feel condemnation from ourselves, our family, or our friends, but God never will. If we feel like a failure He will lovingly convict us to change our behaviors or our decisions. I felt like I failed because I quit school and that caused me to feel stupid and useless. Thankfully He put the desire into me to go back to school. I had to fight the thoughts of failing, but I did it! He gave me the courage I needed to not only get my degree, but to worked toward an advanced degree. Again, I had thoughts of failing towards the end of the second degree, but I made it.
We have to be careful and distinguish between what is condemnation and what is conviction. Condemnation will make us feel guilty, but conviction will show us where we went wrong and what we can do to change it. I am always looking for a way to change for the better and have learned that it is important to have healthy relationships. There are those that can heap condemnation on us when we have failed or think we have failed and then there are those that can set us straight in a positive way. I am learning that he sends the right people into our lives when we least expect it.
