There is nothing we can do in life without failure. Our culture gives us mixed messages about failure. On the one hand we are expected to be successful, near perfect in fact. Our mistakes are costly and often meant with painful consequences and interactions. On the other hand, I cannot count the number of times in training, leadership conversations, and in life in general that I have heard failure lifted up as a good thing-something that we can learn from. The message that failure is normal and that is how we learn the best; that if we are no failing, then we are not really risking or moving forward. I hate to fail. I especially hate to fail in ministry, because it often leads the pain for others, when as a Pastor, my heart aches deeply when my errors cause pain for others. Today’s devotion from Oswald Chambers got me thinking more about this. For God, what does failure mean? Certainly God has come to expect it. Certainly God loves us in spite of it. The quote above provides an interesting perspective. Perhaps God’s greatest concern in the midst of our failure is not if we will repeat it; but if we will dwell on it. Will we allow the evil one to keep us focused on our failure so we can never move forward to the next opportunity? Where are we allowing failure to prevent us from dreaming, doing, risking?
Beware of Failure…not failure itself, but its power over you; a profound message for all in ministry.