I'm a failure. I fail often as a man. I fail often as a Dad. I fail often as a husband. I fail often as a Pastor. Failure is saying you are going to do something and not following through. Failing is creating expectations in others and then not meeting your own standards. Failure is setting a goal and not meeting it.
Some people try and dress up failure and make it feel good, failure stinks..no matter how you slice it. When something goes a different way than you expect, you feel like you have failed. Period!
Despite the fact that it stinks, I am glad that I have failed at being a man, failed at being a husband, failed at being a Dad, and failed at being a Pastor because that means that I am trying and not giving up. That means that I care enough to pursue those things.
One example of my failure as a dad is my inconsistent attempts at leading my family in Bible devotions. I tried mornings and I would run late to work. I tried Saturdays and couldn't find the time. I tried before the kids went to bed and was too tired. Each time my new plan didn't work I fealt terrible and wondered would I ever be consistent. There are two key words in each of my attempts, "I-TRIED". Trying exposed my weaknesses and God loves our weaknesses. His strength is made perfect in my weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). After twelve years of trying and not giving up we eventually found our family niche after mealtime. Don't celebrate yet, I am still failing at consistency. However, I have realized that as I continue to fail at being consistent we are on our third time reading through the new testament verse by verse, half way through the old testament, inscribed fifty-seven of our favorite biblically rich hymns on our children's heart, enthusiastically told every major bible story, seen all of our children cry their eyes out in repentance and forgiveness at the reading of his word, and the list goes on. I blogged about it in 2009 called the Family Dinner Table. So although failure still stinks if you keep trying, the process will yield beautiful fruit.
We need to minimize the cultural image of failure as a bad thing and reshape our thinking. Things that are bad we natural tend to avoid. The implications of trying to avoid failure will lead to unfulilled dreams , stifled ideas, and quenched passion. Embrace failure as part of your growth process and you will welcome one of the greatest catalyst to fulfilled dreams, flourishing ideas, and burning passion known to man.
I am determined to push the envelope of failure by applying continuous momentum in the direction I feel God is leading. My goal to become the greatest failure that ever lived. In that pursuit I will become the best me that God ever created. With the fear of failure now harnessed as a tool for my development I am now free to become who I am in Christ. Being uninhibited by failure gives Me freedom to try new things, tackle new approaches.
I am a failure, but I overcome the failure because I REFUSE TO GIVE UP on being God's man, God's kind of pastor, God's kind of husband, and God's kind of father. My failures are superseded by God's grace and getting back up again and again (Proverbs 24:16). I'm a failure how about you?
Audio Sermon here: http://bit.ly/failure-audio
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
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w0rd brother.
ReplyDeletesince failure stinks, perhaps it is the manure that leads to our gardens bearing fruit!
we all fall short of the glory of God, and yet we are called to strive, as Paul said, for the goal set before us by Christ.
/keeps striving
I like that Sojourner...that inspires even more thought. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to write this Jonathan. Super encouraging to me today. Becky (The Queen of Failures)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Becky. Don't quit, yeild to God's grace.
ReplyDelete