Remember the three stewards who were each given a sum of money to invest? The first two doubled theirs; the third buried his in the ground. The first two were promoted; the third was fired. Could there be a more powerful incentive to take a risk of faith based on what God promised you? Failure trains you for success. It can show you what you need to change in order to move forward. Think of it this way: as a redeemed child of God you have a security net that allows you to fail safely. But if your reputation and self-worth are all tied up in knots over some failure, you’ll not be motivated to try again. It’s human nature to want to feel good, to succeed, to win, to move forward. But just like an athlete backs up to gain the momentum to run faster, sometimes a few steps backward now will fuel your progress later. And here’s something else to keep in mind: God assesses our accomplishments differently from people. A failure in the eyes of others is often a success in the eyes of God. Remember Noah? Before the flood he looked like a loser; afterwards, he became the most successful man on earth. Your most fulfilling reward isn’t human approval - it’s God’s ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ (Matthew 25:21 NIV). Sometimes, a risk taken with God is the safest option.

What Now?
Find a YouTube video of baby animals learning to walk. Notice how every time they fall, they readjust and try again. The next time you feel you’ve failed at something, use it as a chance to readjust and try again a different way.