THE MAIN THEME:  FAILING FORWARD

TITLE:  I WORKED - WHY DID I FAIL?

The bible verse for today’s devotional: Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." 

Devotional

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into something, worked tirelessly, and given it your all, only to see it not turn out the way you expected? You followed all the right steps, worked hard, and persevered through the challenges, yet failure still came. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and even discouraging to feel like you gave your best, only to see it fall short.

You might ask, "I worked so hard. Why did I fail?" It’s a question many of us wrestle with at some point. It’s easy to believe that hard work should guarantee success, but the truth is that hard work, while important, is not the only factor in success. There are times when, despite our best efforts, things don’t go as planned.

This doesn’t mean you are a failure. It doesn’t mean you’ve been abandoned. Failure is simply a part of the process, not the end of the story. God is still at work in your life, and often, failure is not about being defeated but about being redirected.

In Proverbs 16:3, we are reminded to commit our work to the Lord, and He will establish our plans. It is essential to recognize that our efforts, though important, must align with God’s timing, purpose, and direction. Sometimes, God’s plan for us looks different from our own, and failure might just be the way He is guiding us toward His greater plan for our lives.

Consider the following as reasons Why You Did Fail After Working So Hard?

God’s Timing Is Perfect, Even When We Don’t See It: Just because something doesn’t succeed right away doesn’t mean it’s a failure. God’s timing may be different from ours. There may be a lesson to learn, or God might be preparing us for something bigger and better in the future.

Hard Work Alone Isn’t Always Enough: While hard work is crucial, it’s not the only ingredient for success. God’s grace, guidance, and blessing are what ultimately lead to success. No matter how hard we work, we are not in control of everything.

Failure is a Part of Growth: Failure is a tool God uses to shape us. It teaches us humility, resilience, and perseverance. Each failure brings an opportunity to grow in character, develop new skills, and gain wisdom. Sometimes, God allows us to fail because there are lessons in that failure that will be invaluable for our future.

 God May Be Leading You in a Different Direction: Sometimes, what we perceive as failure is God’s way of saying, “Not this, but something better.” Your efforts may not have yielded the results you expected because God is guiding you toward a new path, something more aligned with His purpose for your life. What we view as a setback may actually be a divine redirection.

Here are a few reflective questions;

1. What can I learn from this experience that will help me grow?
2. Did I rely only on my own strength, or did I seek God’s wisdom and guidance throughout the process?

Let us pray:

Lord, I feel discouraged after working so hard and seeing things fall short. Help me to trust You, even when things don’t turn out as I expected. I surrender my efforts to You and ask for Your wisdom and guidance. Amen.

Please say these words of affirmation after me. Say them, mean them, own them, and live them: 

• My hard work is never wasted – God is using every experience to prepare me for something greater
• I will not fear failure because I know that with God, every setback is a setup for a comeback

Have an awesome day, dearest ones. Take good care of yourselves, I’ll see y’all tomorrow.

LISTEN: AUDIO LINK

Helpline: If you have questions and enquiries. 

kindly reach us via +2348023224453 (STRICTLY WHATSAPP) for enquiries on e-devotional only.