Pastor’s Corner: “A Successful Failure”
Isaiah 14:27 (NLT) – 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken— who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”
Failure is a word almost no one wants to be associated with. Let’s be honest — many of us still cringe at the letter F because we have flashbacks of how it looked on the top right-hand corner of a school assignment we did years ago. The red ink just made it worse, as if that F were shouting: “You’re stupid! You’re a failure!” Whether it comes with the memory of an algebra II midterm (Why do they have to put letters with numbers?), a job interview, bankruptcy, or a failed marriage, the weight of failure can be heavy.
Joshua served the Lord obediently and faithfully in a time when most were not. He showed courage as a spy for Moses. He assumed the mantle of leadership. He didn’t hesitate at the Jordan. He didn’t flinch at Jericho. But in the episode called “Achan’s Deceit and Ai’s Defeat”? He failed. In front of his army, in front of the enemy, in front of God… he failed. He suffered a humiliating loss. The people of Ai, though fewer in number, had proved greater in might. They routed Joshua’s men, resulting in an unexpected defeat. Joshua offered a prayer of complaint: Joshua 7:7 (NLT) – 7 Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Not one of his better days. Have you been there?
Failure finds us all. Failure is so universal we have to wonder why more self-help gurus don’t address it. Bookstores overflow with volumes on how to succeed. But you’ll look a long time before you find a section called “How to Succeed at Failing.” Maybe no one knows what to say. But God does. His book is written for failures. It is full of folks who were foul-ups and washouts. David was a moral failure, yet God used him. Elijah was an emotional train wreck after Mount Carmel, but God blessed him. Jonah was in the belly of a fish when he prayed his most honest prayer, and God heard it. Psalm 37:23-24 (TLB) – 23 The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. 24 If they fail, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand.
Failure does not disqualify us from our potential. We all fail, but we are not failures, even when the enemy convinces us to define ourselves by that word. What or who defines you? Parents – past – unruly children – finances – friends – social media – your boss – an abusive partner – education – possessions – property – success … or failure?
Our failure is never more powerful than our God. Let this truth define you. God is more than capable of taking what we messed up, turning it upside down, twisting it sideways and making it work for our good and His ultimate glory. But if we don’t believe what He says, we might completely miss out on seeing Him work in and through us. Not even my failure, no matter how great, can redirect God’s plan for me. “The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has spoken — who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?” (Isaiah 14:27)
A surprising and welcome discovery of the Bible is this: God uses failures. God used Joshua’s failure to show us what to do with ours. God quickly and urgently called Joshua to get on with life. Joshua 7:10 (NLT) – 10 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Joshua 8:1 (NLT) – Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.
I cannot stress how essential it is that you understand this! If you miss this truth and you will miss the Glory of God in your life. You must believe that God’s grace is greater than your failures. Pitch your tent on promises like this one: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. — Romans 8:1, 4. Everyone stumbles. The difference is in the response. Some stumble into the pit of guilt. Others tumble into the arms of God. Those who find grace do so because they “walk according . . . to the Spirit.” They hear God’s voice. They make a deliberate decision to stand up and lean into God’s grace. As God told Joshua, “Do not be afraid, nor… dismayed; … arise, go…”
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton