Failure

A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)

The apostle John tells us that everyone sins (1 John 1:8-10).  For those who occasionally sin, a life of humble confession and repentance maintains their relationship with God.  Occasional sin is a part of life, but that is an entirely different matter from being identified with your sin.  Good people sometimes tell lies, but when they can be called a “liar” they have fallen into such a bad habit that they are identified or labeled with what used to be an occasional problem. The same is true of “addicts,” “thieves,” “sexually immoral,” “drunkards,” “gossips,” and every other label that says we have a problem with habitual sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 10).

When it comes to the problem of failure, it is okay to make mistakes.  Everyone occasionally fails.  Just don’t let your mistakes become such a habit that you become a “failure.”  And don’t blame others.  Accept responsibility for your mistakes.  Learn from them and allow failure to become an opportunity for growth.