How to Deal with Failure

Dallas is the Online Community Pastor for The Healing Place in Shreveport, LA. This past Wednesday night Dallas spoke there about failure. Failure can be a crippling thing, but how do we handle it? In this message, he talks about the two reasons people feel like a failure and how to handle it. For more information about The Healing Place visit http://www.thpshreveport.com or send an email to mediahub@thpshreveport.com

• Two Reasons to feel that way.
  1. You are comparing yourself to others
  2. You actually messed up
• What to do when you’re comparing yourself
  1. Refocus
     1. Hebrews 12:1-3
        Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
     2. The writer of Hebrews just finished walking us through the Heroes of Faith and then he’s encouraging us that with that in mind… keep our focus on Jesus. These people around us, they should inspire us not condemn us!
  2. Remind yourself who you are in Christ
     1. We are His Children
        • John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
     2. We are His creation
        • Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
        • Workmanship means that we are a reflection of the quality of our creator. The one who created heaven, the earth, Planets, perfectly balanced gravity, molecular division… we are a reflection of his quality

• When we keep these things in mind, focus on HIM, our true identity and the reality of who/what we are it doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing or how they are doing it.

• What to do if you have failed
  1. Reference Matthew 26:69-75 >>Peter’s denial of Jesus 3 times
     1. What’s interesting here is that Jesus knew it would happen. He knew Peter would fail him yet he didn’t kick Peter to the curb. Yet He did warn Peter but He also allowed it to happen because he knew what would happen later.
  2. Run to Jesus
     1. John 21:7-8 – Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
  3. Let Jesus Restore You
     1. John 21:15-17
  4. Move Forward – We see Peter taking the lead over and over in the book of Acts and in History