Nobody likes to fail. But the fear of failure influences all of us. And even the fear of success, is just the fear that you will fail once you have great expectation placed upon you. I have recently had to review my successes and my failures from my current, but not for long, ministry position. And it is really hard to be honest about those kind of things. It gets really easy to start believing that your failures, make you a failure - and I don’t believe that to be the case. But regardless, the feeling of failure isn’t something any of us desire.
But as I have had a chance to wade through all the feelings, and look back at my experiences, I have found that the failures in my life have been the most powerful and important teaching times in my life. That without the failures I have encountered I wouldn’t know myself as well, I wouldn’t know what I do about leadership, or perseverance or faith in God. Without the failures I would be weak, undeveloped, and would have a faith that is easily swayed. Without the failures I would not have nearly as clear of an understanding at my great need to be totally dependent on God and his Word.
I think I am of the opinion now that instead of avoiding failure and making safe choices that keep things manageable. That I should push forward with drive and passion, and embrace the inevitable failures that lie before me. That I should seek to push my own limits constantly. And when (not if) I fail, that I need to take notice and learn in that moment to better myself. And if I succeed, then it is time to celebrate and continue to push on.
As much as people like to describe their lives, jobs and ministries by their successes, I think it is much more telling of who they are to hear what their failures have been. Because then you know what they have learned, and who they are really becoming.
Ultimately, I think that we have lost an appreciation for the benefit of failure, and how the thing that we most fear is one of the only things that can every make us a true success. And I think that God is much more concerned with how we process our failures, then of how successful we are.
