Fail Bravely
Do you know what’s been encouraging to me lately?
Your failures.
Before you think I’m a complete and utter jerk, let me explain.
I’ve been encouraged by the testimonies of so many women, moms especially, gladly admitting that we can’t. I wrote on this very topic over at Catherine’s blog a few weeks ago. I’m not alone.
Read Gloria Furman’s thoughts about why motherhood is only for the faint of heart.
Earlier this year, Joy Forney gave this amazing talk on the cross and motherhood about how Jesus’ ‘done’ is ours as well.
God Centered Mom featured this amazing, godly woman named Leslie Johnson a few times (here and here) and both times Leslie’s has boasted in Christ’s sufficiency over our insufficiency.
This woman’s cry that she can’t do it all speaks to the fact that we fail, often.
Do you see what I mean?
Our feeble bodies bend and break – that is, of course, unless our broken bodies are replaced altogether by a body who was broken for us.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Don’t be afraid of your failures, friends. Revel in them. Don’t hold back your clumsy living. Fail bravely. Because when you do, the glory of God shines bright.
I’ve been pretty down-and-out lately, but now I’m feeling slightly better and I think “Okay God, I got this, thanks for you help before, but I got it now.” How many times have I fallen into that trap! I’m praying that I remember God’s grace daily and how He has changing me for the better. I still need His grace, especially when I don’t see that I do.
O Catherine that is so true. Anytime we think we “have it all together”, we’re functionally moving ourselves farther away from the throne of grace. One of the wonderful things about trials (as painful as they are) is that they remind us of our desperate need of Christ. Reminded of that old hymn, “I need Thee, O I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.”
Great post and great reminder. It’s okay to fail. I know I’m going to mess up in parenting, business endeavors, homemaking. Love how you say to revel in them and keep on living. What a great perspective. To have God shine through is what I want.
Hope you’ll find some of those talks encouraging to that end, Deanna. Especially Joy Forney’s “The Cross and Motherhood.” Really helped shaped my thinking on how the Gospel applies to motherhood. Praying for you, and all of us mommies!
This encouraged my great greatly. Seriously. SO needed to read these words! Thank you! And, um, you listen to the God Centered Mom podcast too?? Alright, internet twin 🙂
This seriously is getting freaky 😉
Hey gal,
Thanks for the shout out. Love the quote to Fail Bravely! I think I am getting to be pretty good at that. Thanks for writing this; we need to know that we are not the only ones who are not quite getting it all done and that He is enough.
xoxo
Hey there! O man, thank you so much for taking time to comment 🙂 I truly did appreciate your wisdom and your God-focused advice.