Success Is Not Final, Failure Is Not Fatal

It has been said, “He who never fails, never attempts anything.”The Rambo Moses attempted to deliver Israel by his own power, but he failed and it did have its’ consequences, but afterwards God turned it around for good.

Sometimes failure can actually get you closer to a place where you want to be.

After miserably failing in the past Moses was adamantly reluctant to represent God to the Pharaoh. Later, the formerly timid and fearful Moses confidently stood up to the Pharaoh. After all the painful plaques and the loss of his son the Pharaoh finally conceded to Moses’ numerous requests to let Israel go free ‘to worship the Lord.’

Not long after their release the Pharaoh realized he would lose his free labor force and quickly changed his mind. His army in hot pursuit pushed Israel to the edge of the Red Sea with no possible way of escape. The people were absolutely terrified and they wanted to go back to Egypt. 

At that extremely difficult time Moses stood his ground and boldly declared o the people,” Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today."Another observation we can make from Moses’ life is that:

Failure can increase your confidence in God.
Even if we’re feeling useless or washed up God can do for you and I what he did for Moses. He can call us back to Himself and deepen our trust in Him. After Moses’ failure his ‘uninvited and unexpected time’ in the Midian desert brought him to a place of reflection. It is no different for you and me.

We can learn from our alone time and be encouraged that our life is not over and neither is our life purpose!  Afterwards be can be available and respond confidently when an opportunity arrives. Are you ready for a burning bush? A second observation is that…

Failure can empower us to help others.
We can deepen our trust in God by learning from our failings. Our greatest fear should not be of failing at something, but by failing at something that doesn’t matter all that much.

Like Moses, after we’ve majorly blown it we can find ourselves in the proverbial wilderness. While we’re in the desert we are in a place where we are not where we used to be or where we want to be, but we’re somewhere in between waiting. Where do we go and do? Maybe because you’ve failed you’re in unchartered territory, a place you’ve never been before and want to get out of, but you can’t.

When we fail it’s an open door for our heart to be drawn to a deeper place, a place of transformation and deeper trust in God. But, if my heart response is,” I don’t need this;”“I don’t deserve this; ““I’m a failure, I can’t do anything right;”or if I blame others for my failings I won’t learn to trust in God with my fears. Thankfully, there is a better way! Like Moses you can accept your failings and let Him use them. His glory can shine out of what we bring to him in humility!

Oscar Schindler was a German industrialist who profited from his ammunitions factories during WWII. When he came to the sobering reality of his failure in being part of the Nazi war atrocities he had a change of heart and saved over 1,200 Jews by employing them in his factories.

In a tearful scene from the movie Schindler’s List, the Jews whom he saved gave him a ring to remind him of their deep and unforgettable gratefulness. The Talmudic proverb engraved on the ring read, “"Whoever saved one life, saves a world entire."Who knows how God will use your failings?

When you are honest with yourself and God you can trust that His everlasting arms of acceptance are always open to you, so run to Him! Trust that God can redeem your poor choices to help others. He’s used to it. He’s good at it. Thank God He uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things for His Glory.

With Hope,

Mark
mark@markskalberg.com