Lessons From Failure

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10 NIV)

I read a story recently that caused me to have one of those “hmmm” moments. You know, those are the times when we ask ourselves if there is more to hear than a nice story. It seems an old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it and had grown rather morbid about the rock. After breaking another plowshare one day, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally decided to do something about it. When he put the crowbar under the rock, he was surprised to discover that it was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a sledgehammer. As he was carting the pieces away he had to smile, remembering all the trouble that the rock had caused him over the years and how easy it would have been to get rid of it sooner.

Well here’s what came to me: Failure is never final in the hands of our gracious Father. The following are some things that I have learned to believe about my own failures in life. Perhaps they will help you as you overcome your past.

Failure does not mean I'm a failure; it does mean I have not yet succeeded.
Failure does not mean I have accomplished nothing; it does mean I have learned something.
Failure does not mean I have been a fool; it does mean I had enough faith to experiment.
Failure does not mean I have disgraced; it does mean I have dared to try.
Failure does not mean I don't have it; it does mean I have something to do in a different way.
Failure does not mean I am inferior; it does mean I am not perfect.
Failure does not mean I have wasted my life; it does mean that I have an excuse to start over.
Failure does not mean that I should give up; it does mean that I should try harder.
Failure does not mean that I will never make it; it does mean that I need more practice.
Failure does not mean that you have abandoned me; it does mean that you must have a better idea

How big is the rock you’ve been trying to go through? Isn’t it time for you to trust it to the Lord to help you just break it up and haul it away? There is no boulder to big for Him to handle!