Congratulations, you failed at something! Odd statement, isn’t it? Actually, failure when we attempt to do something reveals some very important information to us and about us. Let’s look at some of that information for just a bit.

First, you were willing to try to achieve something, regardless of what that something was. That means you decided to venture out of your comfort zone and attempt to accomplish something out of your usual, normal routine. You were willing to take a chance. You were willing to risk failing, with the hope of success. It takes courage to do that. Congratulations on being courageous.

Second, you put yourself in a position to learn what will work and what won’t work in a given situation. It is said that if we never learn anything new, then we have stopped growing and have begun the process of stagnation, which is followed by death. I once read that Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 items before he discovered what to use to make an electric light filament. When asked about all those failure, he simply replied that he then knew 10,000 things that would not work. Congratulations on becoming informed on what not to do.

Next, you put yourself in the position of needing to examine why what you tried to do did not work. Self-examination is a challenging process. We have to determine if we had the right plan or proper resources or sufficient wise guidance or dedication to see the project through to the end or any other number of variables that might have played into our failing to achieve our goal. Self-examination requires honesty, humility and the willingness to correct mistakes. Congratulations on looking in the mirror and accepting the reality it reflects.

Finally, you moved out of the 90% who watch life happen and became part of the 10% who make things happen. You took action, instead of sitting around and complaining about some situation. You took action, instead of resting on your past successes. You too action, instead of waiting for “someone” to resolve a problem. You took action, instead of letting fear of people, fear of rejection or fear of failure keep you glued to your chair. Congratulations on taking action.

Failure is not a destination, unless you stay down and stop trying. Failure is not permanent, unless you decide to make it permanent. Failure is a springboard to new wisdom, new planning, new goal setting and new determined action. Failure is the preparation for success. Congratulations, you failed at something!

Sincerely,

A Small Church Pastor