Failure is not an option, it’s a necessity

This entry is taken from my Multiply account – it’s dated on Nov 7, 2008. But I hope you find it interesting and insightful.

Failure is a necessity in life

The GLS Leadership summit 2 days seminar was a blast! The 200 pesos we paid to attend that seminar is ultimately more than worth it. I would be willing to pay more to hear the wisdom imparted by the speakers in that seminar.
Craig Groeschel talked about IT – How leaders can get IT and keep IT
In the middle of his message he said “Failure is not an option, it’s a necessity.” – this really surprised me and it stirred up my thoughts.
Being a leader, you shouldn’t be afraid to fail. And failure is a part of life. This is such a big message to all of us. Especially to the people who have a lot of pride to keep. Failure can do two things to your pride: It can make it more angry, or it can tame it and break it. Leaders must not be afraid to fail.
I learned this the hard way. I was a leader back then and when you are a leader, there are so many eyes that look upon you, watching your every move. And at times when I failed, pride always had the best of me. I deny, I lie, I hide it. And guess what, it didn’t help me one bit. It made me miserable. It took away the fire of being a leader in me and replaced it with guilt. I have failed a whole lot in my life. And God, repentance and vision, decision and some very special people helped me get up again.
Then I realize that each and every one of us Christians all started from failure – that’s how we come to know God. We have all met a point in our life when we couldn’t make it anymore, when we utterly, miserably failed. And then I realize, Hey yeah, we all start from a miserable failure! And without us failing, there will be no grace. There will be no salvation.
But what then if we do fail?
Then we have to decide: “Am I going to stay down? Am I going to get up but go another direction?” Because you can get up from failure but turn away from God’s calling – because you’re afraid to fail again.
He illustrated a great example: the example of the donkey who fell in a pit. They couldn’t pull the donkey back up from the pit. They just can’t. So they thought “We have to bury it.” So they shoveled up dirt to the donkey and the donkey kept shaking it off. Then the donkey kept stepping up to the dirt that has amassed on the floor of the pit. And that’s how it got out.
So when we fail what are we supposed to do? Shake it off! Step up! You can’t stay in that pit forever. Pride will make you not want to step up again. Sonner or later you’ll suffocate because the dirt has buried you alive. We all have failed and fallen short of God’s glory – of His expectations and standards for us. But then from our failure, that’s where grace and salvation starts. Amazing isn’t it?
At the end of everything, there’s hope.
Never give up.
Because if you do – then that’s the time that you’re suffocating with the pride you’re buried in.