Failure

 

            Failure. What is your reaction to that word? It automatically makes me cringe as different phases of life flash through my mind – times when I fell flat on my face, be that literally or figuratively. I have done my fair share of both! But thoughts of failure bring to remembrance much more than a moment; they cause me to reminisce the aftermath, like wondering how I could ever fix my shortcomings or get up and go on. Those seasons of life are not pleasant to recall, but failure comes to everyone, so it must be addressed.

            Before moving forward with this subject, I want to recognize there are many types of failure that must be dealt with separately. The category I have in mind is failure in ministry, not due to spiritual carelessness, but because of circumstances out of our control. I am thinking of instances in which a dedicated Believer wholeheartedly gives their efforts to Christ’s Kingdom, but the outcome is woefully different than what they had envisioned. Maybe that is being scoffed for taking a stand for truth. Perhaps it is getting angrily blown off for expressing concern about someone’s soul. Or maybe it is watching someone walk away from God after you invested hours of prayer and discipleship. Those situations are so hard! They call you to stand face to face with your dreaded enemy, failure. You deal with questions like, “What did I do wrong?” or “Why is this happening when I was only trying to do good?” You are tempted to let depression and self-pity sink in your soul. You want to be a recluse because hiding seems like the safest option.

            Dear child of God, if you resonate with these feelings, I have a few things I would like to share with you. These are truths Jesus has recently spoken to my own heart as I have grappled with apparent failures in ministry. He first reminded me that what seems to be the end of the story from the human perspective often marks just the beginning of His wonderful plans. How many times does His Word illustrate this? Think of Abraham. Because he had no child, he thought his lineage had ended. Yet, God responded to his desperate plea with the promise of a son. Abraham’s heart rejoiced at God’s revealed plan, but it was twenty-five years before he saw it fulfilled in Isaac’s birth. No doubt he was tempted to give up on his story in the meantime, but he held on because his story was being penned by a faithful God! Think also of Peter, a disciple of Christ who blatantly denied the Savior. When Jesus looked at him, Peter left and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61), probably feeling like that was the tragic end for him. Once again, God’s great plans were just getting started! After the Resurrection and Pentecost, Peter served as a faithful church leader until his death. So, just because it seems like your ministry is presently a failure, remember we serve a God Who is much greater than this moment! He is not confined to apparent outcomes! That does not mean you will immediately see His workings revealed, but just as Annie Johnson Flint said, “When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun.”

            Secondly, Jesus reminded me that regardless of the end result, He is faithful! As much as it breaks our hearts, we probably will invest in souls who choose to walk away from God. How many Christians (myself included) have stood with a heavy heart beside the casket of someone who turned away the invitation to Christ? The devil loves to jump on our shoulders in those moments and suggest that ministry is useless, so we should just give up. What a lie! Yes, it is perfectly normal to hurt deeply, but that’s not the conclusion of the matter. Not only do we have the hope that God is faithful to a soul up to their last breath, but we also know that those who do eternally reject Him do not change the fact that He is forever faithful! Just because they did not listen to the truth you shared does not mean you are a failure. Rather, lift up your eyes to Christ and realize it is always a privilege to represent His faithfulness, regardless of how others respond! Worship Him because He is faithful even to the souls that He knows will reject Him. Moreover, choose to look beyond the circumstances and revel in the fact that you can tell others of His faithfulness because you are personally acquainted with it!

            These beautiful truths are not just pleasant to ponder. They aren’t just devotional reflections. They are a call to action. Because God works beyond our best efforts, and because He is faithful regardless of people’s responses to Him, we are compelled to brush off the dust of our seeming failures and go on giving of ourselves for Him. This compulsion is not one of mere duty, but one of joy. The devoted Christian will happily realize that their ministry is for Christ and His glory, not the number of our success stories. Even though we might feel trampled, discouraged, and ineffective, the joy of who Christ is will fill our hearts and give us the courage to get up and go tell the next needy soul that He is faithful!