Scared of Failing? What Jesus Would Say

Hey, Carpool Crew. Maybe you've missed a goal, maybe you flunked a quiz or made a mistake that made you want to give up on something. Well, I'm Pastor Justin and I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to the Sunday episode exclusively for subscribers. This month we're talking about: what would Jesus say about the things that scare us? And today's fear is one that a lot of us feel, even grownups. It's the fear of failing at something. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9 says this: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.' Wow. That's actually a really great verse. But what does it mean? Well, the Apostle Paul wrote this verse after asking God to take away something that made his life harder. We all have things in our life that sometimes feels like it makes it harder. And instead of taking it away, God said, 'My grace is enough. My power shows up best when you feel weak.' So in other words, you don't have to be perfect for God to work in your life. You don't have to have it all together for God to use you in a big way. See, you can fail and still be loved. You can mess up and still matter. Matter to your parents. You can still matter to your good friends, like your real friends. You can still matter and you do still matter to God. If Jesus saw you crying (and we all cry) because you messed up on something, he might kneel down next to you and say, 'You don't have to be perfect. I love you. Let's get up and let's keep going.' See, let's say you practice super hard for a test or a game and it still didn't go the way you'd hoped. You might feel like quitting. You might feel like never going to school again, locking yourself in your room and saying, 'That's it.' But Jesus says, 'You are still mine. You are still worthy. Let's try again.' So what can you do today to apply this? Well, first, remember God's strength shows up when you feel weak. So when you're feeling weak, it should be an immediate reminder: here's a chance for God to show up big. Second, instead of hiding your failure (because here's the thing, the people that love you don't care about your failures), ask Jesus to help you learn from it and to surround yourself with people who are going to encourage you and support you and be there for you even when you fail. And lastly, encourage someone else who feels discouraged because you know what it feels like. You know that fear of failing. So when you see someone else having a hard time, when you see someone else failing, encourage 'em. Be there for 'em. Remind them that God loves 'em. Even if they're not a Christian, remind them that God loves them. And God loves you too. Your failure, no matter what it is, is never final with Jesus. No matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Hey parents, if you like today's episode, consider sharing the podcast with some friends of yours. A quick text message can make it part of their regular routine. Now, before you go, answer this question together. What's something you failed at, but you're glad you kept trying anyway? I'll see you tomorrow as we kick off a new week of Carpooling with Jesus.