The Traces of God in Failures: How can we know if a failure is a divine gift or not?

Book Summary

Why doesn’t God help?

This is a very deep and painful question that many people face throughout their lives, especially during times of hardship and failure. As we discussed in the book “Traces of God in Failures,” these moments can make us pause and reflect.

The answer to this question depends on our perspective on God and the purpose of life, but from the viewpoint of this book, it can be analyzed as follows:

Not Helping, or a Different Kind of Help?

One reason we might feel God is not helping us is that our definition of “help” is different from God’s definition. We often expect God to respond to our immediate desires, exactly as we want and when we want. But sometimes, God’s answer is not in the way we want, but in a way that is necessary for our real growth and well-being.

Hidden Wisdom: Perhaps what we refer to as “not helping” is, in fact, divine wisdom. In the book, we pointed out that sometimes God, by closing a door, saves us from entering a perilous path. This “no” is the greatest help itself; a help that we are unable to understand in the moment.

Test and Growth: The world is a place of test and growth. If God were to remove all difficulties from our path, we would never become stronger, more patient, and more resilient. Failures and hardships are tools for shaping our character and helping us to become the best version of ourselves.
Trust and Effort: God has given us the power of choice and will. Trusting God does not mean giving up on effort. He expects us to do our part in life and try with all our being. Then, we can leave the final result to Him.

In the end, this question, “Why doesn’t God help?” often comes from a place of deep pain. The answer might be that God is always helping, but not in the way we expect, but in the way we need. He is, behind the scenes, guiding us towards the best path, even when we do not see this guidance clearly.

Written by Vahid Zekavati

Introduction:

Have you ever felt that life is against you? The moment when all doors close on you and everything falls apart? In those darkest moments, you might think that the world and the universe have conspired against you. This book is an invitation to an inner journey, to look at the concept of failure from a new perspective. Here, you will learn that what we call a loss, is sometimes a hidden gift; a divine grace that, by closing one door, saves us from a perilous path. This book is a guide to understanding the truth that perhaps some of these setbacks are in fact the most precise and loving divine measures to guide us towards the right path in life. Join us to discover how within every failure, the trace of God’s protection and guidance is hidden.

Chapter One: Why Do Doors Always Close On Us?

Perhaps it has happened to you too, that you have tried with all your being to achieve something, but at the very last moment, everything slipped through your fingers. This is a moment where it seems like the universe has decided that you should not reach that goal. This inner pain, this sense of helplessness, creates many questions in our minds. We say to ourselves: Why me? What mistake have I made? This bitter feeling can lead us to doubt all our efforts and feel worthless. But if we look at this from another angle, maybe we can find a different answer to these questions and realize that these abandonments or failures do not always mean that we are unworthy or incompetent.

We often see the paths to success through our own lens and think that there is only one way to achieve our goals. That is why when that path is closed, the whole world seems ruined to us. But the world is more complex than we can predict all the possible paths. Sometimes, a closed path just means that we have to try another way; a way that we might never have thought of and that might be even better than the path we first imagined. This perspective can lessen the bitterness of failure and open a window of hope for us.

In fact, these dark moments full of failure are an opportunity for inner growth and self-discovery. When everything is going well and we are on the path to success, we think less about ourselves. But when we face failure, we are forced to look within ourselves and ask whether what we really want is the path we are on. These questions can take us to the depths of our being and help us find our true self. This discovery is much more valuable than any external success.

Some doors that close may save us from entering a world full of tension and anxiety. Suppose you have tried for a job and were ultimately not accepted. This failure may have kept you away from a toxic and high-pressure work environment and provided a better job opportunity for you elsewhere. This might mean that you have been moved away from something that was not right for you. Perhaps that job would have taken you away from the path that was intended for you, and God, by closing that door, has returned you to the true path of your life.

Accepting failure is an art. An art that teaches us how to look at situations without judgment. Instead of blaming ourselves, we can gently say to ourselves: “It’s okay, this is also part of the journey.” This acceptance helps us to learn from our wounds and become stronger. When we accept failure as a teacher, we no longer fear it and can use every bitter experience for our own progress. This perspective gives us immense strength to be resilient in the face of life’s adversities and not get discouraged.

We humans like to control everything and when we can’t, we get disappointed. But the truth is that a large part of life is out of our control. Our effort is valuable, but the final outcome is not always in our hands. God opens and closes many doors for us and we must trust this flow. This trust gives us peace and makes us look at the future with hope. With this view, even if the doors close, we still believe that a better and more suitable path is ahead for us.

This new look at failure can completely change our attitude towards life. Instead of running away from our setbacks, we can welcome them and learn from them. Every failure is an opportunity; an opportunity to grow and discover ourselves. This perspective transforms us from a victim into a hero. A hero who creates a victory out of every hardship and learns a valuable lesson from every mistake. This is how our failures turn into our greatest victories and lead us to our true destination.

A simple example can make this idea clearer. Perhaps you have been trying for a long time to buy a specific house, but for some reasons, you have not succeeded. At first, this failure might make you very disappointed. But after a while, you might realize that the house had fundamental problems or that your financial situation changed in a way that buying it would not have been in your best interest. In this example, that initial failure was a hidden grace that saved you from a wrong and costly decision. These events are signs that tell us that God is at work and is guiding us towards a better path.

Failure can push us towards other goals that might be better for us. Maybe you were looking for a job that you ultimately did not get. But along the way, you met someone who offered you a new and exciting opportunity. An opportunity that you might not have thought of at first, but after a while, you realized that this new opportunity was much better than the previous job you were seeking. These small events show that God has other paths in mind for us that may not be understandable to us at first, and we must trust these paths.

In the end, failure is an inevitable part of life. We cannot escape it, but we can learn how to face it. This chapter is the beginning of a new journey. A journey in which we learn to see closed doors not as an end, but as a turning point, and to believe that God, even in the darkest moments, will open other doors for us. With this view, failure is no longer a nightmare, but a friend and a guide to becoming the best version of ourselves.

Chapter Two: How to Know if a Failure is a Divine Gift?

Our lives are full of such moments where we later realize that a big “no” was actually a bigger “yes” to something better. Think of the stories of people who missed a flight at the last minute that later crashed. At first, this experience was a great failure and a great disappointment for them, but in the end, it saved their lives. These stories remind us that the world does not operate solely on our human logic. Behind the scenes, forces are at work that are hidden from our sight and are trying to protect us. Sometimes, what we call a loss, is in fact a divine gift to protect us from unpleasant events.

This idea that God helps us by closing doors is rooted in the depths of many spiritual and philosophical teachings. In this view, failures are not just random events, but part of a larger, purposeful plan. The purpose of these failures is not just for us to suffer, but to guide us towards a path that is in our best interest. Perhaps the path we insist on taking will ultimately lead to a dead end or even our destruction. But God, who sees the future, by closing that path, saves us from great dangers that we do not see and guides us to a better path.

You might ask how we can distinguish between an ordinary failure and a hidden grace. The answer is within you. When a failure happens, instead of immediately blaming yourself, pause and look inside yourself. Ask yourself: Can this event guide me to a better opportunity? Does this failure distance me from a path where I felt uncomfortable? These questions help you to look for the hidden message behind the failure instead of focusing on the pain and suffering.

Imagine a person who has invested all their savings to start a small business. He has worked for months on this, but in the end, for various reasons, he fails. This financial failure makes him very disappointed and he feels empty. But after a while, he realizes that if his business had been successful, he would have had to work with partners who could have betrayed him and taken all his assets. This failure was a divine protection that saved him from a great and irreversible danger.

Sometimes, setbacks force us to change our direction and introduce us to people we would never have met otherwise. Maybe you applied for a job at a large company and were rejected, but that rejection caused you to contact an old friend who introduced you to a new job at a small startup. This new opportunity may lead you to a greater success and introduce you to new skills and talents that you never thought you had.

We must learn to trust the divine wisdom behind the scenes. This trust gives us peace and prevents us from getting discouraged when we face problems. We cannot control everything, but we can trust the flow of life and believe that every event, no matter how bitter and painful, is ultimately for our good. This faith gives us the power to find the light of hope in the darkest of failures and continue our path.

This perspective transforms us from a victim into a hero. A hero who knows that failures are an inseparable part of life and each one of them is a lesson and an opportunity for growth. By accepting this truth, we no longer fear failure, but welcome it with open arms. We know that every closed door is an invitation to a new and better path.

In the end, accepting the truth that failures can be a protection against greater dangers gives us peace and assurance. This perspective keeps us from blaming ourselves and others and helps us to look at life with an open mind and a calm heart. We learn that even in the darkest moments, God’s hand is at work and is guiding us towards a safe and successful path.

Chapter Three: Can Failure Make Us Stronger?

Have you ever thought about why after a difficult period full of failures, you feel like a different person? Stronger, more aware, and even kinder. This is the miracle of failure. Just like a gardener who prunes the extra branches of a plant to make it stronger, life also sometimes prepares us for growth by pruning. These painful experiences force us to think, change, and grow. They pull us out of our comfort zone and force us to look for new ways to continue our path.

The truth cannot be denied that failure is bitter and no one likes to experience it, but just as an athlete’s muscles get stronger with pressure and pain, our character also matures with challenges and failures. When everything is going well, we think less about ourselves and our weaknesses. But when we face failure, we are forced to confront our shortcomings and look for solutions. This honest confrontation helps us to know our weaknesses and try to improve them.

Every failure has a hidden lesson within it. Lessons that may not be taught in any university. Lessons such as patience, resilience, and humility. When we face failure, we learn that we cannot always be in control of everything and that we must sometimes trust the flow of life. We learn that it does not matter how many times we fall, but how many times we get back up. These lessons make us more resilient and patient people who do not surrender to the adversities of life.

Perhaps it has happened to you that you were prepared for an important job interview, but in the end, you lost it. At first, this experience might make you very disappointed. But after a while, you realize that for that interview, you have learned new skills and have become familiar with your weaknesses in the interview. This experience prepares you for future interviews and helps you to get a better job. This is the hidden growth within a failure.

Failure leads us to deep self-knowledge. When everything is lost, we are forced to look within ourselves and ask who we really are and what we want. These questions can guide us towards our true goals. Perhaps the job you were trying for was not your real goal and this failure has helped you to discover the true purpose of your life. This inner discovery is much more valuable than any external success.

Some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history were the result of consecutive failures. Edison failed thousands of times before he could invent the light bulb. He said: “I have not failed, I have just found thousands of ways that do not work.” This perspective shows the difference between a successful person and a failed person. Successful people use failure as a stepping stone to success. They know that every failure brings them one step closer to their goal and they are not discouraged by it.

The truth that failure is a tool for growth gives us peace. We no longer fear failure, but look at it as an opportunity. An opportunity to learn, grow, and become the best version of ourselves. When we accept this perspective, we can welcome challenges with open arms and bravely walk on the path of life. We know that every hardship makes us stronger and every failure brings us closer to our goal.

Failure can introduce us to new people and opportunities that we would never have met otherwise. Maybe you applied for a job at a large company and were rejected, but that rejection caused you to contact an old friend who introduced you to a new job at a small startup. This new opportunity may lead you to a greater success and introduce you to new skills and talents that you never thought you had.

Chapter Four: What Should Be Done After a Major Failure?

When a door closes on us, our focus often remains on that very closed door. We grieve, think about the past, and blame ourselves. But the truth is, at this very moment, other doors are opening. Perhaps we do not see them because our gaze is fixed on the past. This chapter is an invitation to turn our heads and look around. To see the opportunities that may have come to us in the guise of a failure. This requires courage and faith, but the result is the discovery of a world of new possibilities.

Accepting failure and having faith in the future can prepare us to discover new opportunities. When we let go of the past and trust the future, our minds open up and can see new opportunities. These opportunities are not always in a complete and beautiful package. Sometimes, they are hidden in the midst of a challenge or an unexpected event. A new acquaintance, a small job offer, or even an idea that pops into our mind in a single moment. These can all be new doors that are opening for us.

Think of the stories of people whose lives completely changed after a major failure. Imagine a person whose every attempt to get into a prestigious university was unsuccessful, but instead of giving up, he decided to go on a long trip. During this trip, he met new cultures and people who completely changed the course of his life. He realized that his true passion was photography and after returning, he became a professional photographer who enjoyed his work immensely. That initial failure was in fact a hidden gift that guided him to his true life’s path.

Sometimes, failure forces us to leave the paths that were intended for us and create our own path. Maybe you applied for a job at a large company and were rejected, but that rejection caused you to contact an old friend who introduced you to a new job at a small startup. This new opportunity may lead you to a greater success and introduce you to new skills and talents that you never thought you had.

One of the biggest obstacles to seeing new opportunities is the fear of the unknown. When a door closes, we get stuck in the comfort zone we are used to and do not want to leave it. But we must know that true growth happens outside of this zone. By accepting failure and stepping onto an unknown path, we get the chance to discover our hidden talents and abilities. This courage can lead us to successes we never even imagined.

Therefore, when a door closes on you, instead of kneeling before it and getting disappointed, raise your head and look for new doors. Perhaps what is waiting for you on the other side of these new doors is much more amazing than what you were initially looking for. With this view, failure is no longer an end, but a beginning; the beginning of a new and hopeful adventure.

Chapter Five: How to Build the Future When Your Past is Full of Failures?

Perhaps it has happened to you too, that after a major failure, you lose all hope for the future. We often fall into the trap of the past and constantly tell ourselves that because we have failed in the past, we will also fail in the future. This perspective is like trying to walk in the dark with our eyes closed. The future is not a predetermined destiny, but a blank canvas that we can paint with new colors. But how can we create this perspective within ourselves? This requires practice and new attitudes.

Our view of the future has a direct impact on how we deal with failures. If we see the future as a predetermined destiny, when we face failure, we give up and easily stop our journey. But if we see the future as a blank canvas that we can create, every failure is just a mistake that can be erased and we can start over. This attitude transforms us from a victim into a creator and gives us the power to take control of our lives.

To be able to create this perspective within ourselves, we can do simple exercises. Instead of thinking about the past, we can take a notebook and write down all our new goals and aspirations. This helps our mind to separate from the past and focus on the future. Every day, we can take a small step towards achieving one of these goals. These small steps can help us regain our self-confidence and get back on the right track.

We must accept the truth that the past, no matter how bitter, cannot determine our future. The past was just a lesson; a valuable lesson that helps us to do better in the future. If we believe in this perspective, we no longer run away from our past, but use it as a tool to create a better future. We know that every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow and we can use it to become the best version of ourselves.

One of the best ways to overcome the fear of the future is to practice gratitude. Every day, take a few minutes and be grateful for all the blessings you have in your life. This helps you to shift your focus from what you do not have to what you have. When your mind is focused on what you have, the feeling of hope and joy is strengthened within you and you can move towards the future with more power.

Chapter Six: How to Trust God in Moments of Failure?

At the end of this journey, we reach its most important part: faith. Faith in a greater power, in a divine plan that is beyond our understanding. Throughout the journey, we saw how failures can make us stronger and open new doors for us. But in the end, all of this comes back to one thing, and that is trust and reliance on God. This trust is like an anchor in a storm that saves us from drowning in despair and gives us peace. The belief that everything is in the hands of a kind and wise power can lift the heavy burden of failure from our shoulders.

Trust is not just a word. It is an action, a daily choice. It means that every morning, when we wake up, we say to ourselves: “I will do my best, but I will leave the final result to God.” This frees us from the obsession of controlling everything. We cannot stop the storm, but we can learn how to stay calm in the heart of the storm. This peace comes from our deep faith in the truth that failures are part of a larger divine plan and each one of them brings us closer to our true goal.

One of the biggest obstacles to trust is the fear of losing. We are afraid of losing something, and for this reason, we cling to it and resist. But the truth is that what is lost is usually something that is not essential for our growth. When we trust God with faith, this fear disappears. We know that whatever is taken from us will have a better replacement. This perspective gives us the courage to resist the adversities of life and to look at the future with hope.

Trust helps us to stop judging ourselves and others. When we fail, we often blame ourselves. But by trusting God, we understand that failure is a natural thing and a temporary event. This perspective frees us from shame and guilt and helps us to treat ourselves with more kindness. We learn that even in the most difficult moments, we are lovable and valuable and we can use these moments for our growth and progress.

Trust reminds us that we are not alone. In every step, God’s hand is with us. When we feel that all doors are closed on us, we must remember that God’s hand is always open and guides us towards a better path. This feeling gives us security and makes us walk on the path of life with courage. We know that even if we fail, we are not alone and there is someone who supports us.

Accepting the truth that failures can be a protection against greater dangers gives us peace and assurance. This perspective keeps us from blaming ourselves and others and helps us to look at life with an open mind and a calm heart. We learn that even in the darkest moments, God’s hand is at work and is guiding us towards a safe and successful path and we must trust this guidance.

Conclusion

The book “Traces of God in Failures” was a six-chapter journey that began with fundamental questions about setbacks. In the first chapter, with the question of why doors close on us, we addressed the acceptance of failure as the first step to seeing hidden opportunities. This chapter provided a foundation for understanding that what we perceive as the end of the road may, in fact, be a new beginning.

In the second chapter, we delved into the concept of hidden grace behind failures, and through real-life examples, we saw how setbacks can save us from greater dangers. This chapter reminded the reader that things are not always as they seem, and sometimes, what we lose was for our protection.

Then, in the third chapter, we explored failure as a tool for growth. Just as pruning is essential for a plant to grow, we also saw how painful experiences make us stronger, more aware, and more resilient, teaching us valuable lessons.

The fourth chapter, by looking at the opening of new doors, showed us how by accepting failure and having faith in the future, we can discover new opportunities. By focusing on moving forward instead of staying in the past, we learned how to have a fresh start after every setback.

In the fifth chapter, we emphasized the importance of a different perspective on the future. This chapter taught the reader that the future is a blank canvas that can be painted with hope and trust, not a predetermined destiny.

And finally, the sixth chapter presented faith and reliance as the final conclusion of this journey. We came to the belief that failures are part of a larger divine plan and that by relying on faith, we can find peace and assurance in the most difficult moments.

This book, with its intimate and narrative tone, tried to touch hearts instead of offering clichéd solutions, and to help the audience reconcile with their true selves. This journey was from the darkness of failure to the light of hope, and it seems to have successfully achieved its goals.