Fighting Feelings of Failure

All of us wrestle with feeling like failures.  Sometimes it is triggered by small things - promising to do the dishes but leaving them a little too long and someone else does them.  Sometimes it is triggered by big things - loosing a job, trouble in your marriage, getting an F for a final grade.  I wonder sometimes how to combat these feelings...

I think we become debilitated by our "failure" when we loose sight of our value in the eyes of the Creator, and we begin to compare ourselves to the "ideal".  Maybe the ideal is an unrealistic comparison with others, maybe the ideal is an unrealistic goal.  In order to find peace in the midst of whatever life throws my way, I have to look at myself honestly.

I am a child of God, the bride of Christ, redeemed, loved, created in God's image.  My life has purpose and meaning.  Purpose and meaning that come from the things that God has poured into my life: gifts, talents, experience, friends, family, etc.  My purpose and meaning exist despite we weaknesses and inadequacies.  I should be honest about my weaknesses and acknowledge that they are generally connected to my strengths: like a creative mind but a messy office; passion for vision and new projects but a difficult time with the daily maintenance of old projects.

When I become overwhelmed by myself or when I am filled with disappointment in God, feelings of failure creep in and become almost unbearable.  And all of this is tied to faith and trust.  Do I trust God? Do I trust that as I seek Him, he will lead and guide and uphold?  Do I trust that even when evil happens, he will redeem?  Do I believe that he is real, that he cares, that he is sovereign?

My prayer is that God will help increase my faith.  Like the man said so long ago, "Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief."