FAILURE AND SUCCESS

Tim Challies, pastor and author wrote,

“It has long been my observation that most people can handle failure better than success. If failure tends to spur innovation, success tends to breed stagnation. If failure tends to occasion humility, success tends to engender pride. If failure tends to stimulate dependence, success tends to generate self-reliance. I have seen people who seemed to be making great strides in godliness, great advances in upright and holy living, until they achieved success and gained acclaim. It was then that their progress seemed to screech to a near halt or even to reverse itself. When they gained the thing they had longed for, they lost the progress they had labored for. I have seen far more people ruined by success than by failure.

The reason is simple enough: Their success outpaced their sanctification. The level of their accomplishments rose faster than the growth of their character. Their vocational achievements came at the cost of spiritual achievements. They gained more success than they could handle and it led to great harm.”

Challies wrote a real truth. The way I have expressed this is: You can’t put a cannon in a canoe.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus