Success through Failure

Success through Failure Success through Failure From Stumbling Stones to Stepping Stones By June Hunt It sis amazing how little we know about ourselves. God has to take us through all kinds of failures to reveal the pride and conceit that lies dormant in the corners of our character. The only way we can be of any use to God is to rightly respond to the disappointments that puncture our pride and hurt our heart... all for His purpose of placing us on the Ladder of Success! James 1:2-4 DEFINITIONS Remember falling and scraping your knee so seriously that you had to quit the race and get medical attention for the gaping wound? A little doctoring was usually required for the injury and for your broken heart as well. Perhaps you heard someone who was trying to buffet the pain say, The more it stings, the better the medicine is working. Our lives will always have its bitter medicine in the form of failures, but the more it stings, the better opportunity God will have to help us win the race. Heb 12:1 A. What Is Failure? The word failure is rooted in the Latin word fallere, which means to disappoint. 1 Failure is seen as not performing up to expectations. Unmet expectations lead to disappointment and sometimes to despair. Disappointment with personal failure is God s basic ingredient for growth. Biblical Example: David experienced disappointment to the point of despair over his moral failure with Bathsheba. However, his broken and contrite spirit brought him closer to the heart of God. (Read Ps 51.) The English word failure is often derived from the French word faillir, which means to fail in performance of a duty or expected action. 2 Failure to act in accordance with God s known will brings unpleasant consequences. Undesirable consequences can lead to a changed heart. Consequences are used by God as discipline to accomplish His ultimate will and purpose.

Ps 54:1 Biblical Example: Jonah s failure to obey God resulted in very difficult consequences. When running from God s call to preach repentance to a lost city, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. In his distress he was willing to obey. God used these consequences to accomplish His ultimate purpose for Jonah and for the people of Nineveh. (Read the Book of Jonah.) B. What Is Success? The word success comes from the Latin word succedere, which means to go under, to follow, to be successful. 3 succeed to follow another, to turn out well, to have success success a favorable result, a desired ending The world s picture of success is the accumulation of possessions power position popularity The Biblical description of success is to live under the authority of God Lev 18:4 follow the leadership of the Lord Prov 3:5-6 live in dependence on the strength of Christ Phil 4:13 grow in the character of Christ Rom 8:29 Ps 119:71 Biblical Example: The parable of the rich fool describes his accumulation of many possessions for comfort and security. But Jesus said lasting success is not found in the abundance of possessions, but in having a rich relationship with God. (Read Luke 12:13-21.)

CHARACTERISTICS God s ways are not our ways. Unless you learn to see failure from God s point of view, you may become discouraged and defeated. He allowed two of His most valiant soldiers (Moses and Peter) to experience the pain and humility of great failure in order to reveal their true character and purify them for future service. Isa 55:9 A. The Moses Mentality (Old Testament) A passive personality the type most fearful of failure Ex 3:11 Basic Characteristics Fear of criticism perfectionistic and critical Fear of rejection defensive and self-protective Fear of making decisions lazy and procrastinating Fear of people timid and weak hearted Fear of God self-accusing and self-condemning Biblical Example: God called Moses to a position of great leadership, yet Moses had such fear of failure that he tried to persuade God that he was incapable of the task. Moses feared the people, expressed a lack of confidence in his abilities and pleaded with God to send someone else. (Read Ex 3-5.) B. The Peter Personality (New Testament) An aggressive personality the type most devastated by failure 4 Matt 26:33 Basic Characteristics Prideful boastful and self-satisfied Pushy intimidating and controlling Powerful strong, fearless and highly competitive Persuasive gifted with potential and leadership Performance-based seeking significance by being more successful than others Biblical Example: Peter was boastful and proud in proclaiming his loyalty to Jesus. He was extremely aggressive at the time of Jesus arrest and took matters into his own hands. When Peter realized that he had failed three tests of faithfulness, he was devastated. (Read Matt 26:31-45 and Matt 26:69-75.)

C. The Failure Factor Failure has a way of bringing on bouts of depression. Don t let yourself become discouraged when you experience the disappointment of personal failure because the Lord disciplines those he loves (Heb 12:6). Thank God that our disappointments can be used by God to produce righteousness and peace. Heb 12:11 Noah became drunk. Gen 9:21 Abraham had his wife lie to the Egyptians. Gen 12:13 Biblical Examples of Failure Jacob deceived his father and stole his brother s inheritance. Gen 27:19 Moses murdered an Egyptian. (Ex 2:12) Samson had a weakness for women. Judg 14:17 David committed adultery with Bathsheba. 2 Sam 11:4 Elijah suffered burnout. 1 Kings 19:3-4 Jonah ran from God. Jonah 1:3 Paul persecuted followers of Jesus. Acts 9:4 John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas. Acts 15:37-38 Thomas doubted Jesus. John 20:27

Peter denied knowing Jesus. John 18:25 When God sent Israel into exile because of their sin and disobedience, He promised to bring them back again to the promised land. God has future plans for you, too... even when you totally blow it! Jer 29:11 CAUSES Both passive and aggressive personalities have the same character failure... pride. God is often the only one who can see this sinister sin that hides undetected in each heart. When we become so bold as to think we have rid ourselves of pride, that is the time when God may choose for us to experience circumstances that bring about a fall. Prov 16:18 A. Basic Cause The cause of character failure for both the passive and the aggressive personalities is the sin of pride. Preoccupied with the opinions of others John 12:43 Refusing wise counsel Prov 15:22 Ignoring the power of prayer James 4:2 Depending on self-effort Gal 3:3 Expecting praise and personal recognition Luke 14:11 B. Root Cause The root cause of an inability to accept failure and to learn from mistakes is a wrong belief system. Wrong Belief: Failure is a sign of personal defeat. I must accomplish my goals and be successful in the eyes of others to feel good about myself. Right Belief: Failure is God s way of deepening my dependence on Him. Success is submitting to God s goal of Christlikeness for my life regardless of the outcome

God s goal of Christlikeness for my life regardless of the outcome. Rom 8:28-29 STEPS TO SOLUTION It often takes years of failure before you reach the pinnacle of success. Abraham Lincoln is a classic example of one who endured much hardship and experienced many setbacks before he was elected president of the United States. His life was hard growing up in the remote regions of Indiana in the early 1800s. His formal schooling totaled less than a year, and there was nothing in his early education to foster his personal drive for learning. A Bible was the only book his parents had. He came to know it thoroughly. He lost his mother when he was nine, grieved over the death of a sweetheart, experienced two business failures and spent several years paying off his debts and the debts of his partner. Always disappointed but never bitter, Lincoln became known as honest, able and ambitious. The discipline of his early losses and failures prepared Lincoln for the many defeats he experienced while running for public office... before he won the presidential election in 1860. Heb 12:7 A. Key Verses to Memorize For the aggressive personality who becomes totally devastated by failure Phil 3:13-14 For the passive personality who is extremely fearful of taking a risk 1 Thess 5:24 B. Key Passage to Read and Reread God s Perspective on Success 1 Cor 1:27-31 God s ways are opposite of your ways. God uses humility to conquer pride. God opposes prideful self-achievement. God sees success as dependence on Christ. God s purpose is to glorify Christ. C. Rungs of Wrong Thinking Steps to success are usually marked with many failures. Your attitude regarding failures will greatly influence your future. 2 Tim 1:7

Fearful of ridicule They ll make fun of me if I fail. People laughed at Robert Fulton s strange, smoking craft chugging down the river, yet Fulton s Folly became the first steamboat in 1807. When the great tenor Caruso first sang for his instructor, he was told that his voice sounded like wind whistling through the window. Easily discouraged I told you I would blow it. Albert Einstein failed his university entrance exams on his first attempt. The first car Henry Ford invented and marketed did not have a reverse gear. Against innovation/change It s never been done it won t work. The Wright Brothers first offered their flying machine to the United States government but were not taken seriously. A few years later they closed a contract with the United States Department of War for the first military airplane. Lacking confidence I don t think I can do it. Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he also hit 714 home runs. Lacking conviction It really doesn t matter that much. Thomas Edison had over 5,000 failures before he found the right combination for the light bulb. R. H. Macy failed seven times in retailing before his New York store was a success. Lacking trust in God I really don t have what it takes. When the great pianist Paderewski first chose to study the piano, his music teacher told him his hands were much too small to master the keyboard. D. The Ladder to Success Return to your first love. Get in close communion with the Lord. Rev 2:4 Recall your failure. Evaluate the areas in which you were wrong. Rev 2:5 Repent through godly sorrow. Experience godly sorrow which leads to deeper growth. 2 Cor 7:10 Receive God s forgiveness. Freedom is found in accepting forgiveness. Ps 31:1-2

Remember God s sovereignty. God brings down and God lifts up. Ps 75:7 Respond correctly to brokenness. Humility touches the heart of God. Ps 51:17 Recognize God s purpose. God uses failure to produce growth. Ps 119:71 Realize your need for Christ. Apart from Christ, you can do nothing of value. John 15:5 Refuse to quit. Correct response to failure builds endurance. Phil 3:13-14 Reach out to comfort others. Help others to see failure from God s perspective. 2 Cor 1:3-4 No one who is faithful to God is a failure. The world honors success; the Lord honors faithfulness. June Hunt LEAN YOUR LADDER ON THE LORD from 1 Peter 5:6-10 5 Let your spirit be humble before God and others. 1 Peter 5:6 Leave your fear and devastation in the hands of God. 1 Peter 5:7 Lock Satan outside the door of your mind. 1 Peter 5:8 Learn the sweet fellowship of Christian suffering. 1 Peter 5:9 Look to the God of grace to restore you. 1 Peter 5:10

NOTES 1. Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (2001); www.m-w.com. 2. New Oxford Dictionary of English (electronic ed.) (Oxford University Press, 1998). 3. For this section see Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. 4. For this section see Andre Bustanoby, A Reason for Hope When You Have Failed (San Bernardino, CA: Here s Life, 1986), 23-41, 53-60. 5. For this section see Bustanoby, A Reason for Hope When You Have Failed, 55-58. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Arthur, Kay. As Silver Refined: Learning to Embrace Life s Disappointments. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook, 1997. Beaudine, Frank R. Ultimate Success. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1997. Berkley, James D. Making the Most of Mistakes. The Leadership Library, vol. 11. Carol Stream, IL: Word, 1987. Briscoe, Jill. How to Fail Successfully. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1982. Briscoe, Jill. How to Follow the Shepherd... When You re Being Pushed Around by the Sheep. Old Tappan, NJ: Power, 1982. Brown, Stephen. When Being Good Isn t Good Enough. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990. Bustanoby, Andre. A Reason for Hope When You Have Failed. San Bernardino, CA: Here s Life, 1986. Campolo, Anthony, Jr. The Success Fantasy. Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1980. Houtz, Elsa. The Working Mother s Guide to Sanity. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1989. Hunt, June. Healing the Hurting Heart: Answers to Real Letters from Real People. Dallas: Hope For The Heart, 1995. Hunt, June. Seeing Yourself Through God s Eyes. Dallas: Hope For The Heart, 1989. Hunter, John E. Limiting God: An Analysis of Christian Failure with the Sure Answer for Success. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966. Johnson, Mark. How to Succeed Where Strong Men Fail: Avoiding the Samson Trap. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw, 1997. Lutzer, Erwin W. Conquering the Fear of Failure. Ann Arbor, MI: Vine, 2002. Lutzer, Erwin W. Failure the Back Door to Success. Chicago: Moody, 1975. MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World. Nashville: Oliver-Nelson, 1988. Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-up, and Burnt Out. Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1990. Minirth, Frank, States V. Skipper, and Paul D. Meier. 100 Ways to Live a Happy and Successful Life. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979.

Scudder, James A. Beyond Failure: Discovering Grace and Hope in the Hard Times of Life. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001. Smith, Michael M. Redeeming Failure. Discipleship Journal Bible Study. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1999. Stanley, Charles F. Success God s Way. Nashville: Oliver-Nelson, 2000. Wyrtzen, David. Unexpected Grace: How God Brings Meaning Out of Our Failures. Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1992. (from Hope For The Heart Biblical Counseling Keys 2005 by Hope For The Heart. All rights reserved.)