Truth Nuggets

Prov. 1:^5-6 “I want those already wise to become wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth.” [LB]

1 Cor.10:¹³ “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind…” [NIV]. Failure is not fatal but rather it is common to mankind. Just get up, dust your body and keep on moving. Fact: failure is not the worst thing that can happen to you. So do not blow it out of proportion. I am not saying that what you are experiencing is easy but the Bible says it is common to man. So begin to see it as God sees it and relax; do not specialize your case.

The third thing we must do to banish the fear of failure is to Recognize the Benefits of Failure. Hard as it might be to imagine, failure is beneficial. Rom. 8:²⁸ “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him . . . according to His purpose” [with emphasis]. The Bible says all things work together for good, including failure. Believe me, there is value in failing and I will show you a few of such benefits.

One of the benefits of failure is that it educates us. Thomas Edison failed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine times but eventually he created the light bulb. Thomas Edison says, “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work”. It is not enough to quote him but you have to apply this wisdom in your life. I am of the opinion that some things are best learnt from other people’s experiences. And it is because life is too short to learn everything by experience. But I also know that there are certain things that you will never learn except you experience them. When other people are recounting their experiences, it would sound like a joke. But when you put your hand in the fire and feel the heat, that day you will know that fire burns. Some things can only be learnt from experience. In fact what separates smart people is that they learn from their own experiences. A foolish person does not learn from his or her own experiences but instead repeats the same mistakes over and over again. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody falls; the smart person learns from his fall, the foolish person does not learn from his fall. I do not have a problem with people making mistakes but I have a problem with making the same mistake over and over again. Everyone fails but smart people learn [benefit] from failure.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, increase my capacity even as I explore the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth, in Jesus Name. Amen!