If it wasn't for failure, I'd have nothing to be proud of

Failure is possibly humanity's greatest common denominator. We've all failed. We're all going to fail again. Failure is a part of life, and a vital key to success. Everyone from Michael Jordan to Thomas Edison has extolled the virtues of failing.

In the Disney film Meet The Robinsons, the Robinson family celebrates each failure, recognizing it as the next step to success. And this is all great, and there's a lot of truth to be learned from all this. But the joy in failure goes even deeper.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - Emphasis mine. Obviously.)

I, like Paul, can celebrate failure because it is a reminder that I need God. I need God because I am too small to save myself. Because I am too broken to heal others on my own. Because I am too weak to serve Him in my own strength. 

And I rejoice in this need for Him, just as I rejoice in my need for my family. It is this need that brings us together and binds us. It is this need that becomes relationship, and love, and joy. Need is the basis for community itself, and because it is, it is a thing to be revered. I rejoice in failure, because in our weakness we find our need for one another, and recognize our need for a Savior.

Bunker Hill -- Losing to Win

Today is Bunker Hill Day. If I read my history right, Bunker Hill was a terribly bloody battle of the Revolutionary War. That we lost.

Violent defeat seems like an odd thing to celebrate... but I'm reminded of Paul, who likewise celebrated his own weakness.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Acknowledging our own weakness is not willingness to give into our temptations or shortcomings. Rather, we celebrate the opportunity to let God take over and provide His strength in our personal failings. 

The Boston colonists of 1775 may have lost the Battle of Bunker Hill -- but it stands as a reminder of what they overcame, by the grace of God, to found this Nation. It is also an example of a Pyrrhic victory. That is, while the British won the battle, it was ultimately not worth the cost in lives. Likewise, our own weakness reminds us of the person we are leaving behind, as Christ guides us to become more like Him. We learn to lean not on our own strength, but on His. And our small failings remind us, too, of the greater Victories we have in Him.

And yes. That is worth celebrating.

Okay. I'm Out.

Parenting is hard. It is wonderful, and I would trade it for nothing. But it is not easy. Most days, my children are a constant reminder that I am loved by a Creator who loved me enough bless me with Family. Occasionally, they remind me that Man is a fallen creature.

It is on those occasions that they also remind me that, as a fallen man, I am woefully unprepared to be responsible for these lives. It's a humbling experience in many ways. See, right up until I had kids, people would talk about how patient I was. Slow to anger. Calm. So, needless to say, when I lose my patience with my kids, it is as much a wake-up call to myself as it is to them. Probably more so, actually.

A wake-up call because that, too, is a reminder of my fallen-ness. A reminder that, as long as I am human, I will have an end to my stores of grace. Fortunately, My wife and I aren't in this on our own. What these moments really are, are a reminder that, by ourselves, we haven't the strength necessary to deal with these larger family issues. These moments, as trying as they are, are a blessing, because they remind us to lean on God.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10)

There are moments in life that show you where your strength truly lies. It is in these moments where you find your measure: do they cause you to flee, or do they drive you to your knees? 

Praise God that, when our stores of strength are tapped out, He has an everlasting pool, just waiting for the cries of the humbled.