It’s probably happened to you at one time or another—you failed a test, didn’t get the job, didn’t qualify for the scholarship or internship, ended a relationship. You lost. You didn’t succeed at something. Failure. And that’s all you can think about. You get so depressed you feel you can never pick yourself up again. You will always be a failure, you think to yourself. You will never become anything.

Everyone goes through periods of feeling like a failure, whether they admit to it or not. Even the most successful people have failed at something. It’s part of being a human, because we are imperfect. We are going to let someone down or mess up. It can’t be avoided. But we don’t have to wallow in our imperfections. We don’t have to keep reminding ourselves of past mistakes. That just makes it that much more difficult to become successful.

I myself have lately been becoming overwhelmed by my failures. So much so that I can’t see anything good. I have no hope for the future. I have no hope for doing better. Thank God that he has hope to give to us! He sees the potential in all of us, even when we are at our weakest. It’s hard to remember this when it feels like you have to fight for everything in a world that is all about greediness and selfishness. But he is on our side and he wants what is best for us.

Don’t stay stuck in the past. Don’t dwell on everything you’ve ever done wrong. Your past does not dictate your future! You don’t have to keep living as though life is hopeless. Turn to the One who has made a hope and a future for you. And when you make a mistake, don’t spiral down into hopelessness once more. Learn from your failures. Some of your toughest trials can give you great learning experiences.

When I look back on my past, I see how broken I was. I see that God was trying to show me I was broken and how much I needed him. Without him showing me that I needed to depend on him, I probably would still be stuck in despair. All this to say: what is God teaching you through your trials? What does he want you to learn from your failures? You may feel stuck in your hopelessness. You may feel that you will never succeed in life. But if you allow God to heal your brokenness and accept his hope, there is no telling where you could go.