Does the Bible say anything about failure?

Quick answer

Failure is unpleasant, but God uses even failure for our good and His glory.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Not finishing first, falling short, and generally losing are all forms of failure, but really the only failure is when we don't learn, when we don't rebound, when we don't try again, and when we don’t turn to God. Some Christians fall into a trap, believing that because they are in a relationship with God, they cannot, or should not, fail. However, the Bible tells us that God uses even suffering and failure for our sanctification and His glory. Failures and suffering build into us character (Job 14:1; Romans 5:3–6; James 1:2–4), shaping us into His likeness, reminding us of our dependence on Him, and allowing us to reflect His glory to the world.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Moses initially failed by taking matters into his own hands when he killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11–15), yet God used him to lead Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10–12).
David committed grave sins, including adultery and murder, yet he repented, and God restored him (Psalm 51).
Jonah ran from God’s call, but God’s persistence led him to fulfill his mission (Jonah 1:3–6). God wants to redeem even our missteps.
Proverbs emphasizes learning from failure and correction. Proverbs 24:16 says, "for the righteous falls seven times and rises again."
Proverbs 3:11–12 speaks of God’s loving discipline, encouraging us to accept correction as a sign of His care.
The story of Israel itself is one of repeated failure and restoration. Despite Israel's frequent disobedience, God continually called them to repentance, promising them forgiveness and a future hope. Jeremiah 29:11, spoken to exiled Israel, offers assurance: "For I know the plans I have for you...plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." God is faithful to restore us even after failure.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Bible tells us that God may use suffering and failure to build into us character (Job 14:1; Romans 5:3–6; James 1:2–4).
When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach, perform miracles, and heal, He essentially warned them that some people would reject them—failure. He told them to simply move on and go somewhere else (Luke 9:1–5; John 15:18).
When our failure includes sin, we can trust that in Christ, we are eternally secure and that God is faithful to cleanse and restore us when we confess (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–23).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Failure, as we know from the Bible and from our own experiences, is part of life. God wants to use every part of our lives to bring glory to Him and to make us more like Jesus (1 John 2:6; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1–2; Romans 8:29). Paul writes that God can strengthen us in our weakness (Philippians 4:11–13). God has the ultimate victory, and nothing can separate us from His love. In Christ, "we are more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37; cf. Romans 8:1–39). Failure for a believer in Christ is never a permanent state.

God uses every part of our lives, including failures, to refine us and grow us more into the image of Christ. In His hands, failure becomes an instrument of sanctification—God uses our weaknesses to humble us, to show us our need for Him, and to develop a greater dependence on His strength, rather than our own (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). When we fail, we’re reminded that our worth and identity are secure in God’s love, not in our successes or abilities. This sanctification process grows our faith and equips us to show compassion and understanding to others who stumble. We who have experienced God’s grace ourselves can impart it to others. Even in failure, God lovingly molds us to walk in obedience, rely on His power, and reflect His character.

UNDERSTAND

Failure provides us with an opportunity to turn to God.
Failure reminds us of our dependence on God.
God can redeem even our failures for our good and His glory.

REFLECT

How have your past failures drawn you closer to God or taught you more about His character?
How has failure reminded you of your need for God’s strength over reliance on your own abilities?
How can you learn to see failure as part of God’s process of growing and refining you?

ENGAGE

Why do we often struggle to see God’s hand in our failures?
How can we encourage each other to respond to failure with faith, rather than shame or discouragement? What allows us to do that?
How might our experiences of failure equip us to extend God’s grace to others who are struggling?