Dealing with Failures

Failing to achieve anything that the mind has set on doing is a setback on the developing mind of any teenager.

For example, dating someone for the first time seems mutually satisfying. A teenager then expects that someone will respond to the teenager’s phone call the next day. If that doesn’t happen, the teenager then feels "failure" with emotions of regret, remorse, and even wishful thinking.  

Other examples of failures in teenagers are poor academic score and loss in a game or a sport competition. Failures often result from unfulfilled expectations.

Failures in early life can lead to the development of low self-esteem and the loss of self-belief. These negative impacts can adversely affect the rest of the life of an individual.

Living by faith: Trusting in God will give you new perspectives of your failures. Your failures can become your "blessings" because God can transform you, making you “strong, firm, and steadfast” (I Peter 5:10). Your failures can open new doors of your services and commitments in your community; your failures, shared in multiple platforms with others around you, can change their lives for good. Most importantly, your failures can reveal your own sins and wrongdoings, making you feel penitent to seek His forgiveness and divine instructions. On the other hand, “failure deprivation” doesn’t provide any resilience to confront many challenges and difficulties later in life. So, a believer in God not only embraces “failing well” but also understands his or her own imperfections that need God’s help and guidance. God has given you your own being that doesn’t require your comparison of yourself with others. Just trust God and be obedient.

Stephen Lau

Living By Faith Is Living In Miracles