I hope You Fail

The only way to achieve success is through the path of failure. Every successful business person, inventor, investor, influencer, etc... all have the same story...they have all failed miserably. What keeps people from trying and achieving the very purpose that God has called them to is their fear of failure. One of the kingdom principles of godly success is the ability to fail. If you have never failed how do you know what to do next time? Failure creates learning experiences and brings wisdom to those who recover and get back in the game of life. 

I have failed many times. I have started and created several ventures, opportunities, businesses, and ministries and most of them have failed. I started a stock investment club with my family and it failed. I started a real estate investment company and it failed. I started a charter middle school and it failed. I started a couple's ministry out of my home and it failed. In all of these things that I attempted the one constant truth is that fruit has grown out of each of them. My family made money from the stock market in the investment club. Out of the real estate venture, we purchased several properties across the state and sold them and made money for each family member involved. At Thurgood Marshall Middle School, generations of families got a great educational foundation and many of my students have gone on to college and careers and are still active in my life today. Marriages are still intact and we planted our current existing church The Rock out of that couple's ministry. The things that I listed may not have lasted a long time, but the fruit of those things are still producing fruit today. 

What I have learned as follower of Christ is that Jesus teaches us through failure. In our failures we learn to trust Him more and more. In our failures we gain wisdom for our next decision. Jesus told Peter the only thing that cannot fail was his faith. He said, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 

Jesus only prayed for his faith but not for his experience of whether or not Peter would fail. Failure is just a precursor for success. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, your boat, your box, or any other metaphor we use to describe our fears. If you fail at something, so what! Dust yourself off and try it again. Once you've failed you can then turn to your brother and strengthen them because now you have the wisdom to teach them truth. God wants to use our failures in life to bring us to godly success.