7.26.2017

Yesterday was all about FAILURE

Yesterday was all about FAILURE!
Now don't misread that sentence.
I didn't say "Yesterday was a FAILURE!" 


I was reminded three different ways about the importance of FAILURE.


First, in prepping for my time at West Cannon Baptist Church this weekend, I was going through some Vine Project notes I had in Evernote  (
Yes I am shamelessly continuing to plug Evernote and The Vine Project).  I came across this insightful post - http://gotherefor.com/offer.php?intid=29481 - 

on why Matthias Media’s Vine Journal failed, 
some lessons they learned through the process and 
lessons everyone needs to learn about FAILURE.

The post refers to an article by Seth Godin entitled "How To Fail."  
The link on the page didn’t work for me, so I am reposting it here - http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/04/how-to-fai.html

Both of the articles reminded me of many things I have planned, done, succeeded and failed at over my life in ministry

and
it reminded of some lessons I need to remember in my next ministry.  For right now these are personal posts in my "Some really great ideas sound stupid at first.  But then, so do some really stupid ones" journal.

The other lesson was from a movie.
Last night Joel and I went to see Dunkirk, 
which is the inspirational story of Great Britain's "colossal military disaster."

HERE is the Plugged In video review of the movie.

HERE is the Plugged in article on the movie.

After watching the movie I came home and found several articles and videos of the Winston Churchill speech he gave after Dunkirk.


 The transcript of his speech can be read at www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches

A reenactment of the speech from the movie Into the Storm is below.





The failure of Dunkirk, inspired Churchill and Great Britain to continue battling on.

As I am preparing for this next phase of ministry, I never want to let a fear of failure control me.

  
In Matthew 16:26, Jesus said "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"
I don't want to miss the biggest thing, God and His glory, for the sake of so much smaller, lesser things like my glory.  

I want to succeed and I want to fail in ways that bring honor and glory to God!


In a practical ministry sense, 

I want to always stay true to the message of God’s Word and 
always evaluate the methods I am using to teach/preach/present God’s word. 

Or in the words of the missionary William Carey,
"I'm not afraid of failure; I'm afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter."





No comments: