What if I told you that failure is not your enemy, but your greatest teacher?

Some weeks ago, I posted an image with a quote that read, “If you never know failure, you will never know success.” It was a Sunday reflection titled, “Prove Them Wrong.” Someone asked, “Are you glorifying failure?”, adamantly, no. Another person chimed in, saying, “He’s talking about mindset.”

I’m grateful when people engage in real dialogue. So, thank you, to those who like, disagree, comment, and share. When I write, I write from the perspective of someone who has known failure and brokenness. But let’s be clear: what I glorify is not failure. I glorify the God who tells us that though failure is inevitable because we are human, it does not define us. There was a failure, the fall of man, that set the course of history in motion. And yet, because of what Jesus did, our failures do not have the final say.

Failure is a Probability, Not an Identity

The Bible makes it clear: failure is not the end of our story. Instead, it is a tool for growth, transformation, and a deeper reliance on God. The key is to learn from it, get back up, and trust that even our failures can serve His purpose.

Failure is not just personal, it’s a statistical probability. Most banks don’t finance startups because approximately 90% of startups fail, with 10% not surviving their first year and 70% failing within five years. Years ago, I was on CNBC, where I reminded them of a Bureau of Labor Statistics report: 20% of small businesses fail within their first year, and approximately 65% fail within 10 years.

Even in my current leadership roles, I see this reality: most projects do not deliver the outcomes promised. I remember attending my first (and probably only) bank conference, feeling like a fish out of water. Sitting in a mergers and acquisitions roundtable, I raised my hand, despite my insecurity, and asked, “What percentage of bank mergers or acquisitions actually achieve the results sold to the board and shareholders?” You probably know the answer by now: a high percentage fail.

My Own Battle With Failure

When I was younger, I feared math. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because I wasn’t instructed well, and because trauma made the subject unbearable. My hand was smacked until it blistered when I got problems wrong. For many of us, there’s a version of this playing in the background of our lives, an old wound that still shapes how we see ourselves.

As a foster kid, I knew deep in my bones that my odds of achieving meaningful success were slim, not because of my choices, but because of the environment I was born into. Statistics back this up: fewer than 3% of foster youth earn a college degree, and many age out of the system into instability.

Did you know that 2% to 5% of the U.S. population suffers from atychiphobia, an extreme and irrational fear of failure that leads to avoidance behaviors? Research suggests that students with a high fear of failure are more likely to struggle with academic buoyancy, the ability to overcome everyday academic challenges, setbacks, and stress. These same students enter the workforce unoptimized, never realizing that failure and success are two sides of the same coin… that failure is not the opposite of success, but a part of the journey.

According to a Business Insider report, over 70% of people hesitate to start a side hustle because of fear of failure.

But here’s the truth: I don’t know anyone who has not grappled with failure. Which means if you have known failure, you can also know success.

Did you catch that? No really, sit with it.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

If you choose to wallow in failure, if you decide the world is the actor and you have no power, success will remain out of reach. But the moment you recognize that failure is a temporary setback, a setup for your next move, your next opportunity, your next breakthrough, you win.

The Bible says, “Count it all joy.”It, the setbacks, the struggles, the voices that try to convince you that you’re just a dumb foster kid, an unoptimized professional, or someone who will never get past the obstacles in front of you. It is the season, not the story.

The greatest failure in history, the fall of man, set everything in motion. But Jesus flipped the script. Because of Him, failure is not a life sentence. It’s a lesson, a detour, a setup for redemption.

James 1:2-4 reminds us: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Failure, trials, and struggles build perseverance. They mature us. They deepen our faith.

Psalm 119:71 declares: "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes."

I have made unwise decisions. I have faced loss and setbacks. But through every failure, I have learned, grown, and drawn closer to God’s wisdom.

So, no, I do not glorify failure. I glorify the God who redeems it. Who uses it. Who proves through Jesus that failure is not our identity, it’s just part of the journey.

Now, let me ask you, what failure have you let define you? What setback have you convinced yourself is final? It’s not.

Today, I challenge you, get back up. Move forward. Step boldly into what God has for you.

What’s your next move?

#FaithOverFear #MindsetMatters #GodsPlan #Resilience #FromFailureToFaith