What God Thinks When We Fail: Finding Grace and True Success

by Steven C. Roy

What does God think of us when we fail? Does he think Or does he think something very different? If you've ever lost a job or a relationship, let your friends down, seen your finances collapse, found your ministry crumbling or failed to meet your own ethical standards, you might wonder if recovery is possible. Perhaps you've wondered if you can ever repair the damage done to others, to yourself and to your relationship with God. Steve Roy has good news for you. He had to face his own failures, but his failures also drove him deep into what God thinks about us and success, especially in Christian ministry. He searched deeply in Scripture and listened carefully to the stories of others. He found that God's view of success is very different from ours. And that a biblically grounded view of success and failure challenges our preconceived notions but leads to hopeful renewal that goes beyond what we often ask or think.

Genres: Christian, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2011

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and encouraging book that can be read while in the midst of failure and its not going to suck more life out of you. It reveals the standards and ways we define success and points us back to God's truth that gets muddled in achievement-driven America

[Laura McAninch · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were really insightful points in this book that I highlighted and I will review in years to come, but overall it was a book that I had to dig and almost suffer through in order to find those great points.
The title eluded to being more relatable to the every day person's strife, but it felt far more geared to someone working in ministry.
It is written and organized in a manner that would not be conducive for a typical person to pick up and feel encouraged after reading a small amount.
*Instead, this book required too much brain power and not enough heart/soul food.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).

The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of a subject mid-year. Very easy to read with great insights for those from a worldview who shun failure, or treat it too lightly.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early in the book, the author observes that there are many books about success and relatively few about failure. The book arises out of the author's personal experience of failure in a pastorate that began as one more stepping stone in a successful ministry. Steven Roy then explores how God sees success and failure. Two chapters in the middle of the book explore five Truths of Grace that I think are worth the price of admission:

1. Not all failures are sinful.
2. All sinful failures are forgiven by God.
3. God is progressively working to transform us and our sinful failures.
4. No failure defines our identity as Christians.
5. No failure will have the last word in our lives.

He then deals with how we respond to failure and how we help others in failure. He closes with a call to a life centered not in programs, causes, or theological hobby-horses but in Christ. This is our only hope.

[Jvanlaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very simple read and with simple lessons, but as a young adult in my mid-20's it was a great reminder in my transitioning stage. Often young people transitioning into adulthood are finding it increasingly difficult to pursue life outside of the academic world and in attempting to do so often find themselves not reaching the "success" they were hoping for.
This book deeply addresses the definition of success AND failure in the eyes of God with great Biblical support.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your standard work on failure and God.