Failure and Mistakes

Today, we’re talking about something every single one of us can relate to: failure and mistakes.

We’ve all been there — saying the wrong thing, making a bad choice, or flat-out messing something up. Sometimes it’s something small, like burning dinner or forgetting an appointment. Other times, it’s big — hurting someone we love or falling short in our walk with God.

The beautiful truth of Psalm 103 reminds us that God is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. Instead of pushing us away when we stumble, He reaches out to pull us back up.

So today, we’re going to look at how God meets us in our failures, why His mercy changes how we see mistakes, and how we can extend that same mercy to others.

Let’s start by looking at what failure feels like — and why God’s mercy meets us right there.

What does failure feel like? To me, it is making mistakes or disappointing others. I hate both of these things so much, but when I do, usually mercy has been given. Yet I’m still fearful every time. Who’s with me in that?

Psalm 103:8–10 — “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”

Mistakes often make us feel unworthy. But God doesn’t define us by our failures.

When you fail, take it to God first instead of replaying it over and over in your head.

What mistake have you let define you for too long?

There is compassion over condemnation with God. Psalm 103 shows us God doesn’t constantly accuse us. Mercy means He doesn’t hold our failures against us forever.

Compassion involves understanding, empathy, and a desire to alleviate suffering, while condemnation focuses on judgment, criticism, and assigning blame.

When reading through the Bible, we can read a lot about God’s anger and correction, and we do know that He is our judge. But He does not condemn us or point blame. We often blame, shame, and guilt ourselves, but we need to replace self-condemning thoughts with one truth about God’s compassion.

That one truth can start focusing our hearts on the mercy that God gives us.

When you think of God, do you picture Him as compassionate or condemning?

Failure can be a teacher. God uses mistakes to shape our character and dependence on Him.

Listen, we all know that our mistakes can teach and grow us, but nonetheless, we still cringe at the fact that we make them.

I was working out the other day, and there was one exercise I didn’t want to do because I knew I wasn’t going to do it well. Others would see me and probably think about how bad I was doing. My husband looked at me and said, “So what…?” I immediately thought about it, and he was right. I then knew it was better for me to struggle through something, correct my mistakes, and learn from it all than to never try at all. Sometimes we care too much about what others think to even try — and that, in and of itself, can be a mistake.

So yes, we will do things, and we will make mistakes. But we can learn and grow from every one of them, and when we have God doing the teaching, there will definitely be better results.

Sometimes the hardest part of failure isn’t the mistake itself, but the shame and fear that follow. But God’s mercy breaks the cycle of shame.

Whew… God’s mercy breaks the cycle of shame!

Shame keeps us hiding, but mercy calls us out into freedom. Instead of hiding from God after a mistake, talk to Him honestly about it. In this closeness and comfort with God is where freedom is.

This reminds me of Adam and Eve. They made a huge mistake, and the first thing they did was hide from God. They were guilty and ashamed. But God showed them mercy and grace. Sure, there was still punishment, but there was love in all of it.

Honestly, do you tend to run away from God or to Him when you fail? Seriously think about that. I think most of us would say that we want to stick our heads in the sand until it all passes and we feel safe to come out.

Psalm 103:8-10— “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”

Let’s learn to walk in freedom by coming to God — our best friend — with all of who we are.

When I think about making mistakes and how God has a plan, I often wonder where I would be if…

I mean, if I had done this instead of that, would I still be where God intended me to be?

Here’s the thing: God planned for it all, and He doesn’t give up on us when we misstep. He and His mercy rewrite our story. This is great because a lot of us are stubborn.

God’s mercy offers us a fresh start, and that is such a refreshing feeling after a bad day. Just to think one small thought — tomorrow is a new day — that alone resets us.

When we believe that God gives us a fresh start each day, I think it totally changes our outlook on life, and it gives us hope.

When we experience the mercy of God, and also mercy from others, we can be better and more mindful to show mercy ourselves. Everyone struggles and fails from time to time, and we all need grace.

When we make mistakes, or when we see that someone else has made a mistake, let’s offer mercy instead of pointing the obvious thing out.

If you are like me, mercy would help you move forward more than a pointing finger — because we can all point that finger at ourselves and really drive home the mistake we made.

So just as we would want grace, let’s give grace.

We’ve talked about failure, shame, and fresh starts. Now let’s focus on the steady truth: God’s mercy is bigger than our mistakes — always.

Psalm 103:8–10 — “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”

We waver, but God doesn’t. His mercy is consistent. When you fail, remind yourself: God is still merciful.

God doesn’t deal with us as harshly as we deserve. He deals with us in kindness.

Mistakes are what we do, not who we are. God’s mercy secures our identity in Him.

And living aware of mercy changes how we approach every day — less fear, more freedom.

Friends, there is a loving Father we can call out to. He’s waiting for us to have a relationship with Him. He is a God full of love, mercy, and grace.

With God, there is kindness, security, and certainty in who we are — and that His mercies are new every day. Through that, we can live freely and confidently in who we are and whose we are.

Let’s go back to the heart of Psalm 103. God is compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve. That’s good news, because failure and mistakes will come. But mercy means they don’t have to define us.

Wherever you’ve stumbled, whatever regret you’ve carried, know this: God’s mercy is already there. You don’t have to stay stuck in shame, and you don’t have to carry the label of failure.

God’s mercy is new today. And tomorrow. And the day after that.