By Ann Chen
As a Chinese-American, I’ve grown up in a culture that values “saving face” and rewards perfection and success. I’ve seen this play out not only in my academic/professional life, but in my ministry and in my personal relationships.
One thing that I’ve grown to embrace more is a willingness to fail.
Or perhaps it’s not the willingness. It’s the acceptance that I’ve failed. Many times. And I continue to fail.
I make mistakes. I screw up. I can be stuck in sinful behaviors. I do things out of my own volition and ambition. I am insecure. I hurt other people. I jump the gun. All the time. I am human.
And it’s ok.
God is far bigger than our failures. He’s proven that again and again as He continually shows me His grace in the midst of areas where I just plain mess up. His death on the cross and resurrection give me the hope that I am not defined by my failures.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor. 5:17
As somebody in Christ, I am not defined by my failures. I am not defined by my slip-ups. I am defined by one thing, and one thing only, and that is my place in Christ. This is true of my past, present, and future.
Embracing my failures doesn’t mean that I should feel fine with doing things that are clearly not ok. A life of following Jesus means I lay down my old self and try to live out of my new identity. However, I know there are times that I will mess up and do something I clearly know I’m not supposed to. Or I will do things where I’m not totally sure about myself. Or I will be challenged to take a step out. And I will be in that place of failure yet again. And it might hurt other people. Or it might hurt me.
But I know God is committed to me. While we were yet sinners, He died for me. It is in my failure that I am able to most experience the gospel of Christ.
Failure is an option as long as I am willing to go back to the Cross, and to embrace my identity in Christ and recognize that while I may fail, I am not a failure. Failure does not define me. Jesus does.
Ann Chen is an International Staff member with Epicentre Church and a student at Fuller Theological Seminary finishing up her degree in Intercultural Studies. She serves in Malawi, doing church planting amongst the Yao. Ann has a BA in Urban Studies & Planning from UCSD, a Master’s in Education, and six years’ experience teaching middle school.
Amen. Thanks for sharing your experience. A good reminder of the truth of life that failure is part of success. In coaching we talk about “failing big.” Stepping out in faith we will sink into the water sometimes. That’s when I draw closer to God and remember that it isn’t about me!
You said it so well, Anne. The difference between Adam and Eve and Jonah and us can be that we go running back to God and in the embrace of the Cross find grace. It’s exactly the relief and release to rise up again and again and again.
Reblogged this on SANACS and commented:
“by then I’d figured out the gift of failure, which is that it breaks through all that held breath and isometric tension about needing to look good: it’s the gift of feeling floppier.” – Anne Lamott
Hey everyone — Ann Chen, who is in Malawi on missions right now, just took a break from Facebook, online chatting, and the like, so she may not be responding to comments — at least, not for a while! For her explanation of why she’s taking an internet break and other stories on her trip thus far, check out her blog: http://t4jes.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/being-real-finding-god/
Thank you all for reading and posting comments! I’m sure Ann will be so encouraged to read them when she’s back online:)