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by Scott Johnson

Have you ever failed? Maybe it was a test, a friendship, a job, or a situation regarding your children. Whatever it was, it made you feel like an absolute failure…

It’s coming to mind isn’t it? God knew days and seasons like that would come, so he had the Apostle Paul write to us clear instruction:

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

The implication of this scripture is that we do realize our dreams, our destinies…that prosperity and abundance always await us on the other side of failure—we just have to have the tenacity to stay with it until we reach success.

I know it can wear you out when you’re doing all you know to do, and you’re still not getting results. It feels like God has left your life, like you’re going nowhere that you can’t seem to catch a break. I get it!

Yet, Paul said, “You’ll reap if you don’t give up!”

Respond Rightly to Failure

So don’t give up! Learn to respond to failure the right way and it will propel you to success. This is what Moses did. His life was riddled with failures—far more than his successes—but he didn’t give up.

Think about his life:

• First, his mother abandoned him—even though it was for a good reason—and put in a basket to float down a river. Being abandoned is definitely a feeling of failure!
• He was rescued and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. That would be a success.
• He grew up and one day murdered an Egyptian whom he buried in the desert. Failure!
• He became a fugitive running for his life. Failure.
• He spent 42 years hiding in the desert. Failure.
• Had the burning bush experience. Success.
• Returned to Egypt as God’s messenger. Success.
• The people he’s trying to help—the Hebrew—turn on him because Pharaoh makes them work twice as hard producing bricks without straw. Failure.Marches three million slaves out of captivity into freedom. Success.
• In the wilderness, the people build a golden calf and turn to idolatry. Failure.He gets worn out from the people’s whining and griping. Tells God to kill him. Failure.The people rebel against God so 3,000 die in one day. Failure.Moses builds the tabernacle. Success.
• The glory of God fills the tabernacle. Success.

Do you see how his failures outnumbered his successes? He had eight failures and six successes. Are you glad he didn’t quit when he had a few failures—even one right after the other?

Moses didn’t quit—ever—and neither should you. It really is possible to have success after failure, and there is always a way to turn your failure into success.

Despite how you may feel, failure is not who you are! It doesn’t define you.

Yes, it’s an event—like a loss.

It’s a percentage on a piece of paper—like a grade.

It’s a moment in time—like a tragedy.

But it’s not who you are!

It’s time to learn how to respond to failure effectively so you can get back up and get back in the game—so start by not letting it define you.

Failure Produces Strength

The truth is that failure—despite how bad it can feel—is a good thing in our lives, because failure produces something success can’t. It produces strength. When an athlete trains, he trains to the point of failure—to the point he can’t lift another pound or run another step. And it makes him stronger.

When Moses failed, he refueled. He got back with God…on the backside of the desert, in the tent of meeting, on Mt. Sinai. Today, we go to the house of God. We go to church, watch Christian television, and listen to teaching cds. We renew and refuel—just like Moses did.

We train—to the point of failure. We discipline our hearts and minds to stay in faith and keep fighting the good fight of faith. We have diligent persistence because successful people are resilient—and that’s who we are!

2010 is over. Whatever failures you experienced are behind you. Now take the strength it produced in you and enter 2011 stronger! It’s a year in which you can grow stronger and achieve true success—which might include a few failures from time to time. But those failures won’t define you or slow you down! You are a success and you are successful because God lives on the inside of you…and He’s training you and making you stronger.

Strong is your fight! Shout it out loud—over and over—until it resonates with strength on the inside of you…until faith rises up and overtakes the lies of the devil putting you down. A strong spirit sustains you!2 Today—and all year long.

Happy New Year. Missy and I love you and appreciate you. We believe you are strong, and growing stronger. This is going to be a great year for all of us. Don’t miss us on believersway.tv and all the stations on which we air.

We are so thankful for all our partners. Together, we are taking the power of possibility to the world. Together, we are reaching more and more people with the life of faith. Thank you!

Experience the Power of Possibility!