Failure is inevitable

I once worked at a unit whose motto was "Failure is not an option."
These days, I am beginning to realize the absurdity of trying to apply this idea to our own lives. In fact, I am starting to recognize that failure is actually inevitable.
I always liked verses from the Bible that led me to believe that I could do anything. And in reading verses that told me I could "do all things" I came to believe that God expected a flawless performance from me. In doing so, I played right into the trap set by the enemy. You see, trying to live up to a zero defect performance standard is a formula for failure. When you succeed, you feed your pride. When you fail, you lose all sense of worth. Both lead you so simply try and white knuckle your way through life, as if any amount of effort will suffice.
It won't.
What I am learning is that God isn't surprised when we fail. Disappointed, yes, but He knows that we have zero chance of success on our own. He was disappointed, even before the failure was evident to us, at the moment we started trying to please Him through our own effort. But He offers grace every time we fail, allowing us another chance to quit trying on our own.
It seems so counterintuitive that effort would such an insignificant role in our success. That we have to actually stop trying in order to be effective. But I'm starting to see that all we have to do is make decisions, and He is willing to provide the strength for everything that follows. I think most of us grasp this truth as it applies to our salvation - that we can't earn it and must simply decide and trust His work to save us. But then we immediately turn around and try to live a life deserving of Him through our own effort, as if the same truth didn't apply. Right after we admit that we can never be worthy of His approval, we think it's our role to dig in and show Him what we can do. It's like we can't stand the idea that it's not about us. We want to feel like we had some part in the victories when they happen. We have to try - right?
But the truth is, we need not worry about trying harder or holding on longer - God isn't impressed with that. He just wants us to choose Him and His will - It's the only thing we actually can do to please him.

It's writing things like these - what most people probably think are very elementary truths - that makes me so thankful for grace. After so many years, to still be struggling with such a fundamental idea seems pretty sad...
But Lord knows I'm trying.