Failure Is A Good Teacher

-Andrea Haughian

I was wondering what to talk about, and in my art studio I have on my drawing table encouragements, words and truths from God and others I scribble down to remind myself. One of my writings says that "failure is a good teacher."

I think it's in our nature to want to avoid failure, pain or discomfort—but for me, personally, it seems to be the best teacher. I learn the most through my hardships...in my struggle to be a godly wife, mother, and friend. It's where I learn the most about God, and his love, faithfulness, kindness and presence, and how he has built me to endure by giving me everything I need in Christ.

So I guess my encouragement is that we gain through failure. We gain wisdom, humility, a greater knowledge of God and his love and faithfulness towards us...so what I once seen as a deficit can be a strength. I also think others can gain and learn from our failures too. My kids, for example, probably glean more from my struggles and how I process through them and seeing God's hand at work in them, than any of my victories. Because it's in my failure I find the strength, faith and enduring power of God. In my weakness—He is strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

So in thinking about this, I remembered a story about my son Ronan when he was little. I homeschooled, and I had made this apple tree with these stick-on apples. The goal was to keep your apples on the tree as a reward system by doing your work, having a good attitude, etc. Well, I watched him become increasingly distraught over the week as he was losing his apples, and God quickly corrected me and said, "You're doing it wrong—do it the opposite way. Start with nothing and give him apples for even the smallest things, acts of obedience...because that's how God does it. He's not waiting to take from us, he's wanting to bless and to give." We came to him with nothing and he gives us everything.

In my mistakes as a mother and teacher were an opportunity to see and be healed from a wrong perspective on God...because when I really look at my belief back then...I would say YES, God has given us everything in Christ, but now you need to be good so you don't lose your apples! God took that opportunity to begin a healing process in me on how I view Him...because how we view God will inform how we view ourselves and impact how we see and/or love others.

The truth is that we start with nothing—an empty tree when we come to the Lord who is loving, kind, generous and faithful—and God just adds to our tree. He's not waiting to take things away. He is a loving, life-giving Father who delights in us, and he wants to reward the smallest amount of faithfulness and not punish us for our faithlessness. But it starts with a proper belief on who God is, how He loves us, so we can in turn love Him, ourselves and others. So we ask, Lord, help us have that proper view of You.