As we jump into our fifth message in the series Lessons from the Wild, let’s take a brief look back at what we have learned.

1. Climb the mountain and harness the mind. We have the capacity to overcome life’s challenges and reach our divine purpose. Through God’s Word, presence, and promise, we must reframe mountains of difficulty as opportunities for growth rather than a burden to avoid.

2. Take the Shot: You can’t be afraid to fail. True growth and spiritual revelation require stepping out in faith beyond our comfort zones. Failure is not defeat; it’s a necessary step in the growing process.

3. Keep moving when it doesn’t look good. There will be moments when things look won’t look good and won’t happen the way we expected. We will face more resistance, and the climb is harder than we anticipated. Don’t quit; keep moving. Breakthrough might be over the next ridge.

4. You Need Repetition. Positive desired outcomes are rarely the result of chance. They are built through consistency and repetition over time. We must train for our output.

Today, I have a simple message I have titled Don’t Beat Yourself Up. This week’s message came from a general observation I made during the hunt about how we many times respond to failure. As I mentioned in week 2, we are going to fail because it is part of the learning process.

Here is my observation: After a perceived failure, becoming our own critic and tearing ourselves down won’t help us get better; it leads to self-sabotage of our future.

A general overtone of the revelation God gave me while hunting is that the Christian life requires the inward change of a man through the Word by the Holy Spirit. The inward change is accompanied by outward steps of faith that test, reveal, and refine our lives. The result is maturity of faith and deeper intimacy with Christ.

This morning, I want to drive home the point that our response to failure will lead to one of two things: increased faith or internal fracture.

The internal narratives we allow matter greatly because sanctification operates chiefly in the heart. This is the inner man, including your soul and spirit. The internal narratives you allow become the defining soundtrack of your life.

For example, if I become a harsh critic of every perceived failure, I will fracture my faith by turning an event into an identity. A person’s life will always go in the direction of their thoughts. If a narrative of failure exists, the mind will actively search for micro-proofs of inadequacy to support its belief.

This reality highlights the importance of our thought life. The unrenewed mind wars against the establishment of our faith. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us that thoughts, arguments, and internal reasonings seek to exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

How do we combat the narratives? Not by reason. We take them captive through the word. For example, if I lacked knowledge in a situation and made the wrong decision. I don’t let a moment of failure become my identity by thinking I am stupid. I take the thought captive by declaring James 1:5 through prayer.

Example: Father, I thank you that James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Right now, in Jesus’ name, I ask you for wisdom. I thank you that you said you would give it to me, and in Jesus’ name I receive it. Help me to position my heart to receive it. Give discernment and wisdom to both recognize the wisdom and implement it in my life.

The simple encouragement I wanted to give today is to be patient with yourself as you grow and mature.

First, remember that it is God’s grace, not your performance, that first initiated and now sustains your relationship with Him. Your salvation came by grace through faith, not your own efforts. It is a gift of God Eph. 2:8-9.

Your spiritual journey is rooted in God’s unmerited favor where having been justified by faith, you have peace with God, and access into the grace in which you stand Rom. 5:1-2. We have a sure foundation because of what Christ has done.

Second, remember that God is patient with you. His patience is rooted in His character, and His desire is your transformation, not punishment.

God’s patience isn’t reluctant tolerance; it is active compassion. Our mistakes do not exhaust His goodness. Rather, they serve as opportunities within the larger process of transformation.

God’s revealed character, demonstrated in goodness, forbearance (patient self-restraint in holding back righteous judgment), and long-suffering (slow to anger), is designed to lead us to repentance.

Romans 2:4 says God's goodness leads us to repentance. This is more than feeling sorry for sin; it is a comprehensive reorientation of your entire person toward God.

God’s heart is seen in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

He is patient in the process with us because His desire is oriented toward our repentance and growth. He extends grace and mercy by not dealing with us immediately according to iniquity and sin, creating a gap between what we deserve and what we receive.

I believe a significant truth to remember in combating self-sabotaging narratives is Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

The process may be painful at times as you become who you were meant to be, but the end result will be worth it.

Let me give you a few bible verses to stand on as we close.

Learn to wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14. Isaiah 40:31. Lamentations 3:25-26.

The promise of waiting isn’t punishment; it’s replenishment.

The testing of your faith is producing something significant.

He who has called you is faithful.