IN THE MARGINS: You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try

By Tony Martin
Editor

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” — Beverly Sills

That line has been rattling around in my head lately. It sounds like something you’d see on a coffee mug or a motivational poster, but there’s deep spiritual truth in it—especially for those of us who follow Jesus.

Because if we’re honest, most of us could say, “I’ve failed God more times than I can count.”

We’ve promised we’d pray more… and didn’t.
We’ve decided to stop that sin… and went right back.
We’ve said, “Lord, I’m all in now”… and then gotten distracted.

Failure stings. It brings disappointment, shame, and that nagging voice that says, “Why even bother? You know you’re going to blow it again.”

And that’s where the quote hits home: you may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.

As Christians, we will fail in our walk with God. Scripture is full of people who did. Peter denied Jesus three times. David committed adultery and murder. Jonah ran the opposite direction from what God told him to do.

But here’s the key: they didn’t stay down.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again.” It doesn’t say “the righteous never falls,” but “the righteous rises again.” The mark of a growing Christian is not perfection; it’s persistence. It’s getting back up, confessing, repenting, and taking the next step of obedience.

The real danger isn’t failing — it’s quitting.

Think about the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The first two servants invest what their master gives them. They take a risk. They could have lost it. But the third servant buries his talent in the ground. Why? Fear. “I was afraid,” he says.

He didn’t lose the talent by bad investing. He lost the opportunity by not even trying.

That’s what “doomed” looks like for a believer. Not that God throws you away, but that you end up living a fearful, fruitless life when you were made to bear much fruit (John 15:8). You’re forgiven, saved, loved… and stuck. Frustrated. Always wondering, “What if I’d really trusted God? What if I’d actually obeyed?”

A lot of us stop trying because of shame (“God must be tired of me by now”), perfectionism (“If I can’t do this perfectly, I won’t do it at all”), or simple weariness (“I’ve tried, and I’m tired of trying”).

If that’s where you are today, hear this: God is not surprised by your weakness, and He is not finished with you.

Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” No condemnation doesn’t mean “no conviction” — the Holy Spirit will still nudge you. But it does mean that your failures don’t define you or disqualify you.

Our salvation is by grace, not performance. But our joy and fruitfulness are deeply connected to whether we keep stepping toward obedience.

So what does “trying” look like in a spiritual sense?

Trying looks like getting back up after you fall and saying, “Lord, I blew it. Forgive me. Help me walk with You today” (1 John 1:9).
Trying looks like opening your Bible when you don’t feel like it and asking God to speak, even if it’s just a few verses.
Trying looks like forgiving that person again, even though part of you would rather stay bitter.
Trying looks like showing up at church when you’re tempted to isolate.
Trying looks like obeying a small nudge from the Holy Spirit instead of explaining it away.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t have to fix everything by Friday. But you do need to stay in the game.

Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own.” If the apostle Paul could say, “I’m not there yet,” you and I are in good company. The call is to press on, not to pretend we’ve arrived.

So let me ask you gently: where have you stopped trying with God?
Maybe you stopped praying about something that feels hopeless.
Maybe you quit fighting a pattern of sin because you’ve relapsed too many times.
Maybe you’ve turned down the volume on God’s calling in your life because it feels too risky.

Today could be the day you try again.

Not in your own grit and willpower, but by fixing your eyes on Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He’s the One who started this work in you, and He’s the One who promises to finish it.

You may be disappointed if you fail. You may stumble, and you probably will. But if you refuse to try, refuse to obey, refuse to love and trust God in real, concrete ways, you will be doomed to a fruitless, frustrated Christian life — saved, but stuck.

You were made for more than that.

So take the next small step today.
Pray again.
Open the Word again.
Show up again.
Say yes again.

God isn’t looking for perfect people.
He’s looking for willing ones.