by Tim Hall

""Fail" is a word that makes me cringe. My experiences as a student in school were often made tense by the prospects of failing an exam, or even failing a class. I certainly did not want to be a failure, though I'll have to admit I failed on a few occasions.

There's a distinction that we must be careful to make: "failed" vs. "failure". The old adage is true which says "to err is human". But no one has to accept being a failure. It just doesn't have to be.

Some of the most famous people in history have failed on numerous occasions. Abraham Lincoln tried his hand at political office many times, and many times failed in his quest. But who would look back over his terms as President of the United States and call Mr. Lincoln a failure? Rather, he set the standard for all who would follow him in that office.

Some of the greats of baseball have also made marks at failing to hit the ball. Ever heard of Babe Ruth? Few have struck out more times than this legendary player. But only one has hit more home runs, and that's the thing for which we best remember Babe. He did not allow his many times of striking out to consign him to "failure" status. He kept on swinging.

The apostle Peter - did he not fail on many occasions? Granted, his heart seemed to always be in the right place, but how often he missed the mark! Jesus once told him to "Get behind Me, Satan" (Matt. 16:23, NKJV) for resisting the plan of God. He earned a place in the Hall of Shame for denying Jesus three times in one conversation. But who could match Peter's contributions to the early growth of the church? Yes, he failed; no, he was not a failure.

You and I will also see times at which we fail in our various quests. But are we failures? Only if we allow that title to stick inside our minds. As long as we determine to keep on trying, we can, with the help of God, rise above past failed attempts. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory . . ." (Eph. 3:20,21). It's not about us, you see; it's about God, and His willingness to use flawed and broken vessels to accomplish His will.

Don't dwell on the times you've failed in the past. Instead, focus on God's promises to be with you in the future, and to give you the power you need to succeed. It's the difference between realizing you've failed (inevitable for any of us) and considering ourselves failures (a choice we need not make).