Ever feel like you've hit a wall? Not just a temporary obstacle, but a solid, unyielding wall of... well, failure? Like despite your best efforts, your plans haven’t just gone sideways, they’ve completely capsized, leaving you feeling adrift and defeated? Maybe it's the pressure cooker of a demanding job, the weight of expectations (your own or others'), or just the slow grind that wears you down until you look around and wonder, "Is this it? Am I just... failing?" It’s that draining feeling that no matter how hard you try, you’re just not measuring up, stuck behind a locked door with no key in sight.
I vividly remember a season like that hitting me hard. I was pouring everything into my career, climbing the ladder, ticking the boxes. But somewhere along the way, the environment shifted. Projects I championed stalled or were undermined, recognition felt non-existent, and the collaborative spirit soured into something bordering on toxic. Day after day, I felt like I was pushing a boulder uphill, only to have it roll back over me by evening. The narrative in my head became relentlessly negative: You're not good enough. You made wrong choices. You're stuck. You've failed. It wasn’t just disappointment; it felt like a deep, personal defeat, locking me into a room of frustration and fear about the future. Was there any hope or purpose beyond this feeling of being utterly beaten down?
In moments like these, when our own plans seem to crumble and our strength feels depleted, Scripture offers not easy platitudes, but profound perspective and enduring hope. Let's look together at two seemingly different passages that speak powerfully into these spaces of defeat and fear: God's enduring promise in Jeremiah 29:11 and an encounter with the resurrected Jesus in John 20:19-31.
First, Jeremiah 29:11. It's a verse many of us know, maybe even have cross-stitched on a pillow: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” It's crucial to remember the context: God spoke these words to the Israelites who were defeated, exiled, living in Babylon far from home. Their national dreams were shattered, their present circumstances bleak. This promise wasn't about immediate rescue or a guarantee that their personal plans would succeed. It was a declaration of God's sovereign, overarching, good plan that transcended their current reality of failure and loss. It was an assurance that even in exile, God hadn't abandoned them; He still held their ultimate future and hope securely in His hands. When we feel defeated by our circumstances, like our work or life plans are in ruins, this promise anchors us. It reminds us that God's purpose for us is bigger than our current performance review, our stalled project, or our feelings of failure. He has a good plan, a future, a hope that our present struggles cannot nullify.
Now, let's shift to the Upper Room in John 20. It’s evening on the day of Jesus' resurrection. The disciples are huddled together, terrified. Their leader had been brutally executed, their hopes dashed, their own courage failed them (Peter's denial, others scattering). Verse 19 tells us “the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear...” Can you feel that? It’s the same feeling I had in that difficult work season – locked in by fear, failure, and uncertainty.
And what happens? “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” He doesn’t knock. He doesn't need a key. He enters right into their locked room of fear and failure. His first word isn't rebuke, but "Peace." He shows them his hands and side – proof that he understands suffering, bears the marks of it, yet has overcome it. Their fear gives way to rejoicing.
But He doesn’t stop there. He repeats, “Peace be with you.” And then, incredibly, He gives them purpose right there amidst their weakness and past failures: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” He doesn't say, "Go pull yourselves together, prove you're worthy, then I'll send you." No, He commissions them now, right out of their fear and failure. And He empowers them, breathing on them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” He even meets Thomas later in his raw doubt inviting belief rather than demanding it.
What happens when we weave these threads together?
God Meets Us Behind Our Locked Doors: Like the disciples, our failures, fears, and disappointments can make us lock ourselves away emotionally and spiritually. But Jesus isn't deterred by locked doors. He meets us right there, in the mess, offering His peace.
His Peace Transcends Circumstances: The peace Jesus gives isn't dependent on a problem-free life or career success. It's the peace of His presence and victory over sin and death, offered freely even when everything feels like it's falling apart.
Purpose Isn't Nullified by Failure: Jeremiah reminds us God has overarching good plans. John shows us that Jesus commissions us despite our failures. Our past mistakes or current struggles don't disqualify us from God's purpose. Often, it's right in our weakness that His purpose is clarified and His strength is shown.
Hope is Anchored in Resurrection Reality: The hope Jeremiah speaks of isn't wishful thinking. It's grounded in the resurrected Christ (John 20) who overcame the ultimate defeat – death itself. If He can conquer that, He can surely carry us through our trials and fulfill His plans.
Empowerment Comes from Him: Jesus didn't just give the disciples a mission; He gave them the Holy Spirit. We aren't expected to overcome failure or live out our purpose in our own strength. We rely on His Spirit working within us.
So, how do we navigate those seasons of feeling defeated, especially when work or life feels like a failure?
Acknowledge the Locked Room: Be honest with God and yourself about the feelings of failure, fear, or being stuck. Don't pretend the doors aren't locked.
Invite His Peace: Consciously ask Jesus to meet you in that space, bringing His transcendent peace that doesn't depend on circumstances changing.
Hold onto God's Larger Plan: Cling to Jeremiah 29:11. Trust that even if your plans are failing, God's good purposes for you are not. Ask for His perspective.
Listen for His Commission: Be open to how God might want to use you right now, perhaps even through your struggle. Purpose often looks different than we expect. It might be found in newfound compassion, dependence, or pointing others to Him.
Lean into His Spirit: Actively depend on the Holy Spirit for strength, wisdom, and endurance. You don't have to muscle through alone.
That feeling of failure I experienced didn't vanish overnight. But shifting my focus from my perceived defeats to God's unwavering promises (Jeremiah 29:11) and the reality of Jesus meeting me in my weakness with peace and purpose (John 20) changed everything. It reminded me that my value and future weren't defined by my job title or project outcomes, but by God's enduring plans and the presence of the resurrected Christ who specializes in unlocking doors and breathing new life into defeated hearts. Even when we feel exiled or locked away by failure, He is there, offering peace, promising hope, and commissioning us anew.
