One of the most loved Christmas stories of all time would have to be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. There have been dozens of adaptations on film and television, dating back as far as 1901. One such version was An American Christmas Carol (1979) starring Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade (the Scrooge character). In the movie, his partner (and Jacob Marley parallel) is a shrewd businessman by the name of Jack Latham. When his ghost appears to Slade, he makes a profound observation…
Each day, each man is given a thousand chances — but they’re missed forever once they put you in the ground.
There is a common saying that goes, “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” A similar sentiment can be said about failure… “The bitterness of failure will never be as bad as the bitterness of never having tried.”
Dale Carnegie once said that “discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones of success.”
So, here are my questions for you: Has God given you a task, but fear of failure has kept you paralyzed? Has past failure kept you in a place of darkness and despair?
If so, here are a couple of simple rules to live by…
1. Regardless of what you have done, God is bigger than your failure. Nothing takes Him by surprise, and no failure is final for anyone that trusts in Him.
2. If you find yourself doubting rule #1, God’s Word always rings true…
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13
Whether success or temporary failure, with the Presence of God in your life, you’ll never go through it alone.
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 