The Transformer-Wednesday March 25th, 2020.

Failure is not Final.

Main Scripture: Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 24:16

One of the most instrumental men in the history of the United States lost his very first battle as a general in the young United States Militia to the French in the beginning of his career, this man later became the first president of the United States. His face could possibly be in your wallet right now nearly 250 years since he lost his first battle. George Washington failed, but he did not accept his failure has final.

One of the most influential presidents in American history ran for public political office 6 times and failed before winning his 2nd election ever, and that was the office of president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln did not accept his initial 6 attempts as failure being final. He pressed on, he continued.

Mark Twain is one of the greatest writers to have ever put pen to paper in the minds of many Americans. In fact, he puts my writings to absolute shame when you compare the two from a grammatical and writing talent perspective. Mark Twain was fired from his first job as a reporter when his boss told him that his writings were terrible and that he needed to look into a new profession. Failure is not final.

We could spend our entire devotion time discussing how different well known people didn’t accept their failure as their final result. Michael Jordan is thought to be the greatest basketball player of all time by many sports fans. Guess what? He was cut from his varsity basketball team in high school at first.

For you and I today we need to realize that no matter how many times we fail, if it is Christ who lives within us then we are not failing. We are simply improving. See, in life you are going to fail. It’s apart of life. The difference between people who are kingdom focused and secular (worldly) focused is how you handle failure. People handle failure one of two ways.

1. Failure becomes a motivator. We realize that we can’t do things on our own. If we are going to succeed we must realize that it is Christ within us who allows us to triumph over failure, not ourselves.
2. We let our the fear of our failure and opinion that others may have on us because of our “failure” become final. And we quit.

If you believe the famous verse Philippians 4:13 “For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” to be true, then you don’t fail. Because Christ doesn’t fail. Therefore if you are a Christian and Christ lives in your heart than through him and his power you don’t fail you simply learn. Your failure is not final, but you have to make that choice.

You don’t have to be around me like to realize and see my failures. I fail constantly. In reality I’m not failing, I’m simply learning. The day that I decide I am done learning, I’m done growing, and I stop resting in Christ power for me and my life is when I actually fail. That’s when failure occurs, that’s when failure really does become final. When you quit. Don’t quit. Like the great N.C. State Basketball coach said as he was dying of cancer in the 1990’s “Don’t every give up, Don’t every give up!”-Coach Jimmy V.

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity”-Proverbs 24:16

As I wrap up today’s devotion I want to leave you with a question as you begin your day today. What would’ve happened had Washington quit after his first major failure? Or what would this nation look like if Abraham Lincoln would’ve dropped out of politics during of his 6 campaigns that failed?

Where would you be if you decided that failure was good enough for you? As a child of the King, failure is not final for you. Allow Jesus to pick you up today, because through him you can do ALL things. He is your strength. Carry on, Christian soldier. The battle has been won, but we must fight. Failure is not Final.

I invite you to attend tonights youth service via facebook live at 7 PM. Tonights sermon will be titled “The Agony in Gethsemane!”. Part 3 of our current series, “The Road to The Cross!”.

Love and Blessings,

Brady Henderson

Student Pastor

Transformed Student Ministry