The Joy of Rebounding from Failure

What are you afraid of? An airplane crashing into your house? The boogeyman? Walking under a ladder?

 

An online search reveals there are hundreds, many even thousands of fears. The technical term for them is ‘phobias.’ There are common ones like fear of spiders (arachnophobia); fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia); fear of heights (acrophobia); fear of flying (aerophobia); and fear of crowds (agoraphobia).

 

There also are some less common ones, such as fear of needles (trypanophobia); fear of men (androphobia); fear of computers (cyberphobia); fear of beautiful women (venustraphobia); fear of small things (microphobia); and fear of hospitals (nosocomephobia). There’s even fear of vacuum cleaners (zuigerphobia). Do people with that phobia avoid making sweeping generalizations?

 

One fear most of us experience at one time or another is atychiphobia. What’s that? It’s a fancy name for the fear of failure. In its most extreme form, an atychiphobic person might find daily life difficult – avoiding or postponing tasks, suffering from panic or anxiety, or feeling scared about taking risks or embracing growth opportunities.

 

I’ve been atychiphobic at times, resisting the desire to try or learn new or unfamiliar things, thinking, ‘What if I try and fail?’ I remember years ago when I accepted a job to work with CBMC (Christian Business Men’s Connection). We lived in Houston at the time and were moving to Chattanooga, so I told my pastor about our relocation and my transition to the new position.

 

He caught me off guard by suggesting, “I think you should get up during the service and tell everyone what you’ll be doing.” What?! (Years before I had been asked to speak at another church but became so nervous I barely got through what I had to say.) I’d be staring at hundreds of faces, even though I knew many of them. What if I got up there and started stammering, or forgot what I wanted to say?

 

So, I responded, “No, I couldn’t do that.” However, my pastor persisted, asking me to pray about it. I did and eventually felt God wanted me to step out of my comfort zone and trust Him. I felt anxious that Sunday morning, but prayed, “Lord, enable me to tell everyone about this new door You’ve given me.” 

 

When the moment came, I stepped to the pulpit and suddenly felt a sense of calm. God got me through the brief talk without making a fool of myself. Rebounding from my past failure was an important step of obedience. In the years since, the Lord has given me opportunities to speak in a variety of places.

 

In the Bible we encounter many individuals who suffered great failures but managed to rebound from them to experience victory in their walk with the Lord. One of my favorites is John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, a leader in the early Church and mentor for the apostle Paul.

 

We first meet John Mark, also known as Mark, in Acts 12:12. He accompanied Barnabas and Paul on a missionary journey to Antioch and Cyprus, but for some unspecified reason abandoned the group at a later stop. Perhaps he’d grown homesick or found traveling too arduous. In any event, at that point Mark parted ways with Barnabas and Paul. 

 

Then he apparently reconsidered what might have been a rash decision. Barnabas and Paul were planning to revisit the cities on their first mission trip, and “Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work" (Acts 15:37-39).

 

Can you blame Paul? The mission trips they were undertaking were demanding, even dangerous. As someone who placed great value on “faithful men” (2 Timothy 2:2), he didn’t want to be held back by someone who seemed unreliable.

 

Barnabas, however, disagreed. It might have been the family relationship or that, as with Paul, he saw promise in John Mark that others didn’t. In any event, we’re told, “[Paul and Barnabas] had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus” (Acts 15:39).

 

Happily, that’s not the last we hear of John Mark. Barnabas must have done well in taking his cousin under his wing, because twice Paul mentions the young man in his epistles. To believers in the city of Colossae, he writes, “My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him” (Colossians 4:10).

 

And in a letter to his protégé Timothy, Paul states, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). How’s that for a resounding word of confidence?

 

Even at that, the greatest testimony to John Mark’s rebound from failure is the fact that he is credited as the author of the gospel of Mark. Not bad for a young guy who at one point bailed during an important missionary journey.

 

There’s a lesson here for us all. If atychiphobia is holding us back, fear of failing because of past failures, or hesitation about trying something new or different, remember John Mark. If he can do it, so can we.

The Insidious Snare of Success

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the late Welsh minister and medical doctor, was a well-known expository preacher and author of many books on the Bible and biblical truth. Sounds like he experienced more than his share of success. Given that, it’s interesting that he observed, “the worst thing that can happen to a man is to succeed before he is ready.”

 

Some of us might respond, “Why does he say that?” After all, we all want to succeed in whatever endeavors we choose. The sooner success arrives the better, right?

 

In reality, sudden success can prove to be a slippery slope. We don’t need to name names, but we can all think of pro athletes, entertainers, business leaders and politicians who became celebrated early in their careers only to wind up in a ditch somewhere. People once on the brink of promising, bright futures ending up on the human scrap heap.

There are a number of reasons for this insidious snare, but I think one primary cause is summarized by Proverbs 27:21, which says, “The furnace is for silver and the crucible for gold, but a man is tested by the praise he receives.” Receiving acclaim and fame before one is prepared to handle it properly can prove devastating.

 

But we don’t have to become household names to struggle with handling success. Rising quickly through the ranks at work, winning the lottery, receiving a substantial inheritance, or even gaining positions of influence in our church or community early in our adult lives can result in being “tested by the praise [we] receive.”

 

Readiness to experience success in appropriate ways requires maturity and experience. But you can’t teach experience – or maturity. Those come (hopefully) only with the slow passage of time, seasoned with ample doses of perseverance, struggle, humility – and failure. God can use all of those to shape our character, as we’re told in Romans 5:4.

 

Reading through the Scriptures we find one example after another of individuals who were used in extraordinary ways by the Lord, but only after they had been tried and tested. 

 

Among them was Joseph, who after being sold off by his jealous brothers, then wrongly accused and imprisoned for years, rose to righthand-man status to the pharaoh in Egypt. Moses, raised in the Egyptian pharaoh’s family, was forced into exile for 40 years before God singled him out to lead the Israelites out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery. 

 

Nehemiah was a lowly cupbearer for Persian king Artaxerxes, a responsibility he performed faithfully. Eventually the respect he earned from the king gave him authority to play a key role in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Then there was Daniel, who had been handpicked to train for service to the king in Babylon. He clung to his faith and convictions, refusing to compromise, and over time was accorded a position of great influence.

 

We see how Jesus’ disciples – who after His death and resurrection became apostles taking the Gospel message to both Jews and Gentiles – were carefully prepared for their missional work. Paul didn’t become a fruitful missionary and major contributor to New Testament writings overnight either. After gaining elite status as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians, he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Even then, God didn’t give him a leadership role with Christ’s followers until nearly a dozen more years of spiritual “seasoning.”

 

This isn’t to say that younger people shouldn’t be entrusted with leadership positions. But the Bible warns of getting caught up in success too soon at any age. As we read in 1 Peter 5:5-6, “Young men, in the same way, be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothes yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

 

Hard work, determination, initiative, talent and imagination are all ingredients for success. But they are best nurtured over time and utilized with humility, recognizing the gifts God bestows and opportunities He presents – in due time.

Things Kobe – Even in Death – Can Teach About Life

One of the imponderables of life is why some people die while still young or in their prime. It doesn’t seem fair. When older people breathe their last we mourn their passing, but can take comfort in knowing “they lived a good life.” Untimely deaths, however, are hard to reconcile.

When it happens to a famous person, the impact seems somehow magnified. The most recent example was that of Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter, Gianna (Gigi), and seven other people who lacked his claim to fame. Each was grieved by family and friends, but Kobe was an internationally known treasure. He was a stellar, world champion professional basketball player. 

And upon retiring from the sport, he had begun the process of refocusing his life to other endeavors, even winning an Academy Award for his animated short-feature film called “Dear Basketball.” That honor, no doubt, in his mind was just the beginning. One of the few superstars instantly identified by his first name, he had many goals and dreams yet to fulfill.

Then in a helicopter crash, Kobe’s “next chapter” came to an abrupt close. His daughter, according to many reports, had the potential to carry on his basketball legacy. That, too, came to an end. Tributes poured in from all points of the globe for the athlete whom some regarded as the greatest of all time. The “Why?” many have asked will never be satisfactorily answered.

But perhaps, even in death, the legendary Kobe can teach us much.

First, a disclaimer: I’m really not an NBA fan; it’s not a sport that has captured my fancy – super-tall, super-talented athletes consumed with throwing oversized balls into hoops suspended 10 feet in the air. But I do admire someone like Kobe who not only fulfills his potential, but also works hard to maximize it.

By all accounts, Kobe’s work ethic was unsurpassed. Despite being the best player on his teams over the years, he was typically the first to arrive for practice and the last to leave. He was driven not just to be great, but to be the best. Some of his most famous quotations reveal his motivations. Here’s a sampling:

"When we are saying this cannot be accomplished, this cannot be done, then we are short-changing ourselves. My brain, it cannot process failure. It will not process failure. Because if I have to sit there and face myself and tell myself, 'You're a failure,' I think that is almost worse than death."

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

“I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.”

“From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.” 

“If you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.”

Perspectives like these helped Kobe become the player he was. Many talented people, regardless of their chosen profession, never achieve greatness because they’re not willing to put forth the effort to achieve it.

 After his death, a number of articles appeared stating he was a man of faith. No one but God knows a person’s heart for certain, but perhaps faith was a factor in making Kobe the man he became. Because many of the principles he espoused are supported by biblical truth.

For instance, in regard to failure, the Scriptures exhort us to “keep on keepin’ on,” as they say. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, for example, we’re told, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Galatians 6:9 presents a similar exhortation: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” For followers of Christ called to be a part of His global mission, failure is not an option.

Kobe spoke much about determination and hard work, admitting he could not relate to people unwilling to put forth the effort to attain the desired results. We see a similar conviction in the Bible. Writing to believers in the Greek city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul declared, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat’” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

We see this expressed a bit differently in the Old Testament: “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth” (Proverbs 26:15). Another is even more sternly expressed: “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9).

It would seem, based on his own statements, that Kobe Bryant would be in full agreement with each of these. Hopefully as time passes, he will be remembered not only for statistical accomplishments on the basketball court and memorable performances, but also for the underlying principles that helped him become the incomparable player that he was.

Failure is Not an Option – Or Is it?

Midway through the 20^thcentury, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) captured the fascination of Americans. It was during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and the so-called “space race” was well underway. The Russians had scored the first major victory, successfully launching cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space, and the United States was scrambling to catch up and surpass their international rivals.

During that time NASA adopted the motto, “Failure is not an option.” It served NASA well: success of Apollo 11’s first manned lunar landing; the safe return of three astronauts when, prior to the third moon landing attempt, multiple issues arose that ultimately aborted Apollo 13; and numerous other missions.

Of course, option or not, failures did mar NASA’s march toward success. Some launches had to be scrubbed, even shortly before lift-off. Others fell short of their objectives. The most horrific failure was the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, in which seven crew members perished, including five astronauts, a civilian school teacher, and a payload specialist.

Despite the failures, success for the space program was more the norm. And today we’re all benefiting not only from scientific knowledge but also from technological advances that brought devices we so casually use today, from computers and smartphones to digital TVs and GPS navigational tools.

Tracing progress by anyone of noteworthy achievement, we will find pathways to success littered with potholes of failure, whether they’re scientists, inventors, musicians, artists or statesmen. For them, failure was not just an option, it was a necessary stepping stone toward success.

The same is true spiritually. In fact, Ecclesiastes 11:6 offers this advice: “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” In other words, don’t put all your eggs – or seeds – all into one basket. Some things will work out as expected, but others won’t. Failures will be mixed with successes.

In a real sense, it’s failure in attempting to live out this complicated pursuit we call everyday life that points us to ultimate success – a life-changing, eternal relationship with God.

The book of Romans makes this abundantly clear. For instance, we read, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12), and “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). 

To state it in other terms, we’ve all failed miserably in trying to live up to God’s perfect standard of holiness and righteousness. That’s the bad news. But the good news – the really Good News – is that the Lord has more than compensated for each and every one of our failures through His sacrifice on the cross. In fact, it’s usually recognition of our failure that leads us to Christ.

The apostle Paul expressed this so well when he wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 7:24-8:2).

Success in the spiritual life requires seeing and understanding things from an upside-down perspective. To win we must lose; to succeed we first must fail; to live we must die. Galatians 2:20 states it well: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This verse assures us that what we could not do – no matter how hard we try, how desperately we want to – Jesus did on our behalf. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). As devotional writer Oswald Chambers expresses it, “Out of the wreck I rise.”

In the Christian life, failure can sometimes be our greatest teacher. So if we desire to grow, to consistently become more conformed to the likeness of Jesus, failure must be an option. It serves to remind us, as John the Baptist declared,“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Failure: Springboard to Success

There’s a disturbing trend in our society. It’s a condition, actually, an apparent allergy to…failure.

Take kids’ sports: Many of them don’t award championships anymore. Everyone gets participation trophies; better teams aren’t distinguished from those with less talented ones. In lower-age brackets, they often don’t even keep score. Why? We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Failing to win a Saturday morning soccer match, or finishing third in the youth baseball league could forever scar the “losers” for the rest of their lives. Or so we’re told.

While I’m no expert on the emotional and psychological ramifications of wins and losses on young minds, we’re in big trouble trying to shield our children and grandkids from failure. Because in our hostile, dispassionate world, not everybody wins. If you’re passed up for a promotion, the bosses don’t care if your feelings are bruised.

Not afraid to fail, Tim Tebow is
competing for a spot with the Mets.

Tim Tebow spoke about this recently. Remember the humble, clean-cut Heisman Trophy winner who briefly visited the NFL and today aspires for a spot on one of baseball’s major league teams? Despite his successes, Tebow also has known failure; by his own admission, he's better for it.

Speaking at the start of New York Mets’ spring training camp, Tebow explained his aspirations for reaching the major leagues after a so-so experience in pro football. He said: 

“You’re always going to have people that tell you that you won’t, that you can’t, that you shouldn’t. Most of those are people that didn’t, that wouldn’t, that couldn’t. Don’t be defined by outside sources. You go after your dream. 

“Succeeding or failing…it’s not having to live with your regret because I didn’t try. I just feel for all the young people out there that don’t go after something because they’re so afraid of failing. You’re going to live with a lot more regret than if you tried and you failed. I think a reason a lot of people don’t go after things is because of how much you will be criticized and, ‘what if I do fall flat on my face?’ 

“Fear and doubt creep in, and I don’t think that’s the healthiest way to live. I don’t want to have to live with doubt every day. Regardless of what everyone here has to say about me, that doesn’t define me…. There’s one thing that defines me, and that’s what God says about me.”

Tebow has been considered by some as a “polarizing figure,” largely because he’s a bold, unapologetic witness for Jesus Christ, who strives to live out the faith he professes. Which he’s done, win or lose. He won college football’s highest individual honor and led the Florida Gators to two national championships. But he’s also fallen far short of other goals, failing to translate his collegiate success to NFL stardom. Whether he’ll ever play in a major-league ballpark remains in question.

But as he says, “There’s one thing that defines me, and that’s what God says about me.” That should be our philosophy as well as followers of Jesus Christ, whether we’re IT technicians, law enforcement officers, school teachers, restaurant hosts, college students, homemakers, or construction workers.

And if you’re not failing sometimes, it’s only because you’re not trying. No one succeeds 100 percent of the time. Thomas Alva Edison, George Washington Carver, Steve Jobs and the Wright brothers all learned failure’s necessary for removing some of the obstacles to success.

Among the delights of reading the Scriptures are stories of God’s “failures,” men and women who endured hardships and survived hard knocks to become His servants and messengers. You don’t have to read long – Adam and Eve messed up in the third chapter of Genesis, and humankind has been following their “example” ever since.

Look at any of the central characters in the Old and New testaments, from Noah and Abraham, Jacob and David, to the apostles Peter and Paul, and you’ll find their failures devastated but didn’t define them.

Maybe that’s why God reminds us often our Christian “walk” will be filled with stumbles along the way.  In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord promises, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

In the previous chapter, the prophet writes, “…The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth…. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 41:28-31).

In one of his wisdom books, King Solomon describes the need for support to overcome perilous falls and failures: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

We don’t have to seek out failure. It will find us. But if we have any doubt about what God can do with people who fail, all we need to do is turn to the 11^th chapter of Hebrews, where God presents His “hall of faith.” In addition to Old Testament patriarchs cited above, we read about Moses, who stumbled more than once; Rahab the prostitute, Samson, Samuel, and others.

If they could fail and yet be used by God, to the point that they received special recognition in the Scriptures, so can we!

Failure – Or Just a First Attempt?

Sometimes social media drives me crazy. The negativity, caustic comments and pompous, partisan pronouncements. And those are just from my friends and family members! (Just kidding.) But there are times when I see a post that makes me think, “That’s it! It says it all!”

One of those was a poster – I don’t know the original source – offering a refreshing take on something we’ve all encountered, probably numerous times: Failure. As a society we seem to have concluded failure’s a bad thing, something to ignore or deny. But as the words of this particular social media poster noted, if we redefine three words typically associated with failure, they can redirect us to success.

The first word was “Fail,” as in, “Woe is me! I’ve failed. How can I ever go on?” But what if we changed the word’s meaning, reinterpreting it as an acronym: “FAIL – First Attempt In Learning”? This brings to mind the adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

There’s not one successful person living or dead who has avoided failure. But a big difference between those that later experienced success and those who remained mired in misery was a matter of perception. Those consigned to failure saw their efforts as meaning, “I can’t do it. I knew I couldn’t!” However, those able to leverage momentary failure into later success perceived their setbacks differently: “Well, that didn’t work. I’ll just have to try again, or take a different approach.”

A second word is “End.” A time of failure or defeat can be viewed as the end, an indication to give up. “No sense trying anymore.” Or it can be regarded as another acronym: “END – Effort Never Dies.” If every baseball player quit the first time he or she struck out, no one would be playing the game. Consistent and persistent effort often leads to proficiency and success.

Granted, there are times when we attempt something unsuccessfully and realize we haven’t enjoyed it, that it wouldn’t be worth the effort trying to become proficient. It might be painting, dancing, handicrafts, public speaking, sales, or some other pursuit. (For some people, this might include driving a car.) But even in cases like these, considering this the “end” might simply mean determining to do something else instead.

Then there’s one more word often associated with failure. It’s the dreaded “No” word. This was something I confronted while still in college, experimenting with a couple of part-time sales jobs to try and earn some extra money. After hearing “no” on several consecutive sales calls for both a book publishing company and a vacuum cleaner manufacturer, I realized I wasn’t cut out for a career in sales. Years later it was confirmed that I don’t have a single selling bone in my body.

But as with “Fail” and “End,” looking at “No” in a different way could prove revolutionary in moving toward the future. Instead of assuming that no is the equivalent of failure, we might it as yet another acronym: “NO – Next Opportunity.”

This is particularly true for job seekers. Over the years I had numerous interviews that did not lead to job offers. Resumes I sent out with high hopes didn’t merit as much as a return phone call. But I persisted, determining that if one door closed, another would open somewhere else. And as it turned out, after receiving a “no” more times than I would have liked, the “next opportunity” proved to be better than I could have imagined.

Knowing our tendency to become disheartened when confronted by failure, God offers many passages that encourage us to “keep on keepin’ on.” One of my favorites is Galatians 6:9, which urges, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (lose heart).”

Sometimes our spiritual pursuits also seem paved with failure. But again we’re reminded to persevere: “Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). As with trying to grow a garden, when we must wait patiently to see tomatoes or green beans or whatever seeds we’ve planted finally germinate, we might not see immediate results from our spiritual labors. But we know that in time we’ll reap a harvest – in our own lives and in the lives of people God directs our way.

We also have this promise to cling to when failure seems certain: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Sounds like good news – especially since God never fails.

Your Finish Is What Counts

In a NASCAR race, there are starts and stops, and cars take turns
being in the lead. But at the end, only one finishes in front to win.

Ready or not, NASCAR’s 2014 season gets underway with preliminary events this weekend and the Daytona 500 Feb. 23. If you’re not a NASCAR fan, fear not. My goal isn’t to discuss “stock car auto racing.” (Doesn’t that sound redundant?) I want to comment on a fundamental principle that guides the sport – and most other sports: It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Before every race, drivers boast about what great cars they have. “We’ve really got sump’n for ‘em today,” they promise faithful fans. But by race’s end, only one team gets to celebrate, having proved they really did have “sump’n.”

During the race different cars take the lead. But then they crash, have miscues in the pits, experience mechanical failure, or fall behind faster cars. They looked good midway through the race, but only one car reaches the finish line first. What’s true for NASCAR is also true for life: It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Recently I received a card and photo from a long-time friend, Bob. He just turned 94, and is doing something not many nonagenarians do – taking a mission trip to China. At age 94! He committed his life to Jesus Christ as a young man, and for more than seven decades his passion has been singular: To tell others about the Jesus who radically transformed his life, and lives of countless other people he’s known throughout his lifetime.

You might disagree, but in my view, that’s what finishing well looks like. Rather than devoting his hours to a favorite rocking chair, Bob’s still finding ways to talk to people about Christ. No matter where they are.

Finishing well, however, isn’t confined to ending your time on earth without making a fool of yourself. Finishing well is equally important in your teens, 20’s or even middle years. For instance, many people begin college and start well, but lose interest, decide goofing off is more fun than studying, or get caught up in destructive pursuits. Promising lives derailed into disappointment. High school’s “most likely to succeed” becoming failures.

Couples exchange wedding vows with bright smiles and high expectations. But they discover the challenge of “two becoming one” is harder than they thought, or think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, or decide their spouse isn’t as much fun as he or she used to be. So they divorce, another marriage piled on the social scrap heap, often with children suffering collateral damage.

Sales executives start strong, ticketed for corporate stardom. But for one reason or another, their determination, energy, drive and enthusiasm fade and eventually they’re just hanging on.

Years ago I was changing jobs. My boss, not pleased I was leaving, changed the employment terms for my final weeks before I moved to my new position. I wasn’t happy with the changes and was tempted to stop working on the projects I hadn’t completed. “If he doesn’t appreciate me,” I thought, “I’ll show him.”

Coincidentally, I’d started working on an article about NASCAR titled, “It’s Not How You Start, But How You Finish.” Driving to a spiritual retreat, I grumbled and complained to God. “It’s not fair,” I thought, knowing He was listening. After a few moments, I heard a still, small voice in my mind. God, apparently tired of my muttering, asked, “What’s the name of that NASCAR article you’ve been writing?” Oh, right.

Humbled, I doused my anger, decided to forget “my rights,” and resolved to conclude my employment by finishing what I had started as well as I could. And I never regretted it for a moment. If I’d failed to fulfill my obligations with my former employer, I might still regret it today.

The apostle Paul knew nothing about NASCAR, unless the C stood for “Chariots” in those days. But he knew about finishing well. Encouraging believers in the city of Philippi, Paul wrote, “Not that I have obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

And in his final letter to Timothy, a young man he’d mentored for years, Paul stated, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…” (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

In reality, the apostle’s start hadn’t been good. He’d zealously persecuted the same people – followers of Christ – that one day he would become. But his poor beginning was more than overcome by his unwavering faith and determination to finish well.

Here’s the question facing us: How are we finishing our own race?

Not Getting an ‘F’ in Life

If you’ve viewed many non-family movies of late, you’ve probably noticed Hollywood’s fascination with the so-called “F-word.” I’m not going to write about that, but recently it occurred to me that some other words starting with “f” are also problematic, although in different ways.

"F" is a letter that's
usually best to avoid - on an
exam, a report card, or in life.

In a devotional book I enjoy reading, Grace for the Moment, author Max Lucado makes this assertion: “My life is not futile. My failures are not fatal. My life is not final.”

Simple statements. But profound. At least for each of us that profess to be followers of Jesus.

Author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau referred to the seeming futility of life when he wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” In a tune from the ‘60s, Peggy Lee sang the haunting refrain, “Is that all there is?” Sadly, many people today share that pessimism.

But the Bible asserts our lives aren’t futile – they have purpose and meaning. “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). God has specific plans for each of us. Another passage affirms our special status with God: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Failure is another concern that plagues many of us. "What if I'm not good enough?" "What if I can't finish what I've started?" Fear of failure, experts tell us, can immobilize us, causing us to choose no action at all rather than attempting something and failing in the process.

The Scriptures present numerous examples of people who experienced crushing failures, yet were restored to usefulness by God: For instance, the Old Testament includes Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David. And in the New Testament we find Peter, who betrayed Christ three times yet became a pillar of the early Church, and the apostle Paul, who was transformed from being a persecutor and murderer of Christians into a bold, outspoken disciple of Jesus.

And the greatest assurance of all is that life is not final. Contrary to those who believe there is nothing beyond the grave, the Word of God promises that in many respects, death is just the beginning of real life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Jesus told His followers,  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3).

So as we place our trust in Christ one day at a time, we need not fear futility, failure or finality. He has overcome them all, and we’re promised, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).