STEPPING STONES OR TOMBSTONES
Stepping Stones and Tombstones
Life has a way of throwing obstacles in our path. Some days, they seem small like a pebble in your shoe, irritating but manageable. Other days, they feel like boulders, blocking every path forward. When failure comes knocking, it’s easy to see it as a tombstone, the end of a dream, the death of your ambitions. But what if it’s just a stepping stone, leading to something greater?
We all have moments in life when we feel like giving up. Maybe you’ve faced rejection after rejection, and now you wonder if you’re even on the right path. Maybe you’re dealing with a loss. An opportunity, a relationship, a dream, and it feels like there’s no way forward. In those moments, failure can feel like the final verdict. But the truth is, failure is never final unless we allow it to be.
Take David, for example. Before he became king, he was just a shepherd, overlooked even by his own family. Then he was a giant-slayer, a warrior, a man hunted by a jealous king. If anyone had a reason to feel defeated, it was David. He had enemies on every side, his life was constantly at risk, and the road to his destiny seemed impossible.
Yet in Psalm 56:2-4, he wrote:
“Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
David knew fear, but he also knew faith. He didn’t let hardships become tombstones that marked the death of his dreams. Instead, he used them to step up and to grow in trust, wisdom, and strength.
We all face failures. Jobs we don’t get, relationships that fall apart, plans that don’t work out. The question is, will we let them bury us, or will we stand on them and keep going?
It all comes down to perspective. When we face a disappointment, we have two choices: We can allow it to mark the end of something, or use it to propel us forward.
Never let failure be the final word. Instead, choose to see every setback as a step forward.
Maybe you’ve experienced failure that hurts deeply, a business that collapsed, a friendship that dissolved, a dream that seems out of reach. Maybe you’ve prayed and waited, only to feel like God is silent. It’s easy to believe that a closed door means the journey is over. But what if it’s a detour instead of a dead end?
God doesn’t waste anything, not even your failures. What looks like a tombstone today might just be the foundation for something greater tomorrow. Sometimes, we only see the purpose in our struggles when we look back. But in the moment, all we need to do is trust.
Trust is the key that turns Tombstones into success stories. It’s easy to trust when everything is going well, but real faith is tested in the hard times. When David said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee,” he acknowledged that fear is real, but it doesn’t have to control you. When we put our faith in God, we begin to see life differently. The disappointments that once felt like the end now become opportunities for growth. The pain that once seemed unbearable becomes the very thing that strengthens us.
Maybe you’ve been knocked down, and you’re wondering if it’s worth getting up again. Maybe life hasn’t gone the way you planned, and you feel stuck. But what if the very thing you see as a setback is actually positioning you for something greater?
The road to success, whether in faith, career, relationships, or personal growth, is rarely smooth. It’s filled with obstacles, detours, and moments that test our endurance.
So the next time life knocks you down, ask yourself: Is this the end, or is this just a step? Because if you trust in God, you’ll find that no failure is final, and no setback is too big to overcome. So don’t give up. Keep stepping. The best is yet to come.
