Failure is lack of success. It is an omission of expected or required action. Failure is used loosely to describe many aspects of our lives. For example, “She or he failed to get the grades to advance in their career, so this is the reason never going to amount to anything in life.” Would you say such a terrible thing to someone or perhaps think it? Here is another example. “She or he failed in sports because they did not win the championship, so they are losers forever.” Again, not a very pleasant thing to say or think about another person yet it happens all the time. It seems the news media feeds off failure or their perception of failure. Every news channel focuses on their perception of failure all to influence their audience on their brand of group think. There could be other negative or positive events occurring all over the world but the so called free press drives home their agenda. One side points fingers shouting failure while the other side focus on counter points to success. The winner in this crazy matchup is the one who gathers the most attention hopefully towards their agenda. The loser is the opposition. I submit to you that we are all losers in the battle for influence whether perceived as righteous or falsely accused.
Roger Bannister was a British doctor who defied the medical world at the time to break the 4-minute mile. His best time was 3:58.8. He failed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki by placing 4th, but still beat the British record in the 1500 meters. His failure to win inspired him to challenge the medical community that said the limit was 4 minutes for any human runner in a mile. The fear of an exploding heart did not overcome his faith that he could do it. Two years after the Olympics with minimal training while practicing as a junior doctor in May 1954, he broke the barrier. 46 days later after proving it could be done, others followed. He later became Sir Bannister and was a distinguished neurologist in England. Failure only became the stepping block to success. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We live by faith and not by sight”.
Babe Ruth was another that recognized failure as a journey to success. Did you know he was known at the King of Strikeouts? He led the American League in strikeouts five times and accumulated 1,330 during his career. That stat is hidden by his 714 home runs, 2,873 hits, and 2,213 RBI’s but who’s counting?
Success is on the fringes of our comfort zone where fear holds us back until we have enough faith to overcome our fears. If we remain in our comfort zone, never to risk failure, we will not be fully used according to God’s plans. Some of us wonder why it is so hard to make disciples for Christ, but when we stretch out beyond the box walled by fear, the wonders cease and a new horizon based on faith is revealed. Why are we here on earth? Is it to demonstrate the art of failure? I believe we are here to live by faith anticipating failure, but knowing success is obtained by our efforts, and His grace.
T