With Jesus, Failure is Never Final!

By: Lola Oni

Friday, June 20, 2025

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:24

There is an old African saying that goes something like this; "When a child stumbles or falls, they look forward. But when an adult stumbles, they look behind." When adults stumble, they normally look back to determine the cause. They want to see what went wrong so they can prevent it from happening again. A child isn't usually worried about what caused the fall, they just want to get up and keep moving forward. In a way, both responses are appropriate. We must learn from our mistakes, then trust the Lord to help us keep moving forward.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:12

God's Word also reminds us to be cautious... We live in an imperfect world, and we have an adversary (Satan) who wants to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). The three biggest areas Satan attacks are: pride, sex, and money. They are the three likeliest ways we will stumble, so we can't take them lightly. God's Word says we must abstain from even the appearance of evil, and we can only do this if we are firmly grounded in God's Word. Psalms encourages us to hide God's Word in our heart so we won't sin against Him. (Psalm 119:11). Understanding and applying God's Word to our daily lives pleases our heavenly Father. When we stumble or "miss a step" we must dust ourselves off and get back on the right path quickly. God's Word will instruct us, correct us, and keep our eyes focused on Him.

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way... Colossians 1:9-10

Christ follower, don't take the price paid for your redemption lightly. We can't repay that debt, but we can honor God by constantly examining ourselves and keeping our focus on Jesus. If you stumble, remember that God sent the Holy Spirit to help you up and get back on the right path. You aren't walking (or stumbling) through life alone! If you've been stumbling, ask God to help you get back on the path He created for you.

If you feel like everything has gone wrong or you've failed, always remember this; Failure is never final with Jesus!