Failing Forward
By Grant Gaines
Thomas Edison is one of the most influential men in the history of the world. With 1,093 patents in the United States alone (not to mention the numerous amounts of invention patents Edison holds in foreign countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany), Edison is one of the foremost inventors to ever walk on the face of our planet.
If you’ve ever watched a movie, listened to a recording, or sat under the light of an electric light bulb, you have Thomas Edison to thank.
But not all of his inventions came without a struggle. Take the light bulb for example. You’ve likely heard that it took over 10,000 tries to finally make this intangible idea become a reality. Could you imagine how disheartening it would be to fail after 1,000 tries let alone 9,999 tries? How could one keep the courage and hope to keep on getting up and trying again after so many failures?
It’s easy, according to Edison. All you have to do is view “failures” through the right filter.
As he famously responded when asked how he kept coming back after failing time and time again when trying to create the light bulb, Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that [inventing a light bulb] won’t work.” Edison didn’t view his failures as final. Rather, Edison viewed his failures as just another step in the right direction to creating the next new incredible invention. In fact, he wouldn’t even classify his failures as “failures” but rather as stepping stones.
Peter found himself in one of these “failure crossroads” in Luke 5.
On this particular day, Jesus was preaching to a crowd on a beach next to the Sea of Galilee that kept on growing and growing as you would expect for a seaside sermon from an expert Teacher. As the audience continued to swell, Christ was running out of room to stand in order for all the people to hear what He had to say. But thanks to some quick thinking, Jesus hopped on an empty boat belonging to the soon-to-be apostle Peter and continued to preach His message without a hiccup.
After concluding his lesson, Jesus looked at Peter and told him, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4, NIV). Peter somewhat sheepishly responded to Christ’s request by informing Jesus that while he was a professional fisherman, he had been out the entire night without catching a single fish so today wasn’t the day to try for an afternoon adventure.
This was probably one of the lowest points in Peter’s career. A professional fisherman not catching one sticky, slimy fish. What a failure!
Can you relate to Peter in this story? Do you ever feel like you’ve dropped the ball, missed the mark, or have fallen flat on your face? Of course you have! We all have. We all have had those moments at work, in our homes, or in our personal lives that we’ve failed to make the sale, make the right parenting decision, or fallen once again for that same dreadful temptation. Our nets, just like Peter’s, are empty after an all-night effort.
But I believe Peter’s failure is the most beautiful introduction you could possibly dream up to this incredible redemptive story. You see, it was Peter’s failure that made room for Jesus in his boat. Had he caught his usual catch of fish earlier that night, his boat would have been too full for Christ to climb onboard, nor would there be any room in his own life for a teachable and moldable spirit because of pride.
So it was Peter’s failures, not his successes, that left room for Jesus and humility on this particular day. And you know what? I believe this is exactly how God wants us to view our failures. They’re not final, they’re just stepping stones. He wants us to realize that He’s not looking for the most talented, gifted, successful person He can find. This story in Luke 5 teaches quite the opposite. All God is looking for in His servants is a humble heart and a lot of room for Jesus – and that’s exactly what failures produce.
So when you hit rock bottom or find yourself a day late and a dollar short, remember that this moment-just as it was for Peter-could simply be an incredible introduction to an awesome story of redemption that God is about to write with your life.
How do you view your failures?
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
Email me
©Grant Gaines 2013
