take 2

Catherine writes

This year david was given 3 more tomato plants to grow, and 2 pepper plants as a present from his fellow blogger. Last year the tomato plants did a kamikaze leap off his conservatory windowsill, without setting a single fruit. He has learned this year, and has put them outside on hot days, lovingly watered them – possibly talked to them (though he denies this). The plants are now starting to set fruits, tiny tomatoes can be seen, David is growing in confidence as a gardener, and feeling rather happy that his tomatoes are bigger than mine...

 

Got me thinking about mistakes and failure, and how we respond to these... We often see failure and sin as the same thing. We have been taught that both are somehow a 'falling short' of that which is acceptable. In everyday life we (or the world around us) set targets for success - if we don't reach these we have failed.  

David writes

But maybe we've bought a lie.  Maybe the criteria for 'success' is not measured by achievement alone. Maybe we should take note of Jesus' words as he advised us for life. The Father's words of approval are not 'well done, high-achiever' but 'well done good and faithful servant'. In the Kingdom, it is goodness, godly character that counts - and a life lived based on faith. This might just be radical! Faith is 'the substance of that which is not seen'. In other words it is acting as if something were true without first having conclusive evidence that it is. Faith is inherently risky!

Yet, if we take risks, sometimes it will go wrong - that's the very nature of risk and faith. The problem is that this looks horribly like failure, so aside from the inconvenience and pain of getting the faith-step wrong, of taking the risk and discovering it didn't work as expected, we also have the world (and ourselves) berating us for failing.

We did a blog on Wimbledon recently - there is really nothing wrong with being the fourth best male tennis player in the world. It is a fantastic combination of natural ability, dilligent practice and a tenacious character. But lurking behind the applause is that sense of it not being good enough, because it isn't number one, because he hasn't won a grand-slam, instead of it being praiseworthy it is counted as failure.

Shouldn't we look at our lives in the same way? Not 'did that faith step succeed' but 'did I step out in faith?', not 'do I accomplish everything I set out to do' but 'am I exhibiting godly character in the process and irrespective of the outcome?'. Instead of getting our self-worth and approval from 'good' outcomes wouldn't it be healthier to learn to receive these from taking steps of faith, from responding in godly ways? Maybe we need to reset the criteria for success if we are going to 'succeed' in the Kingdom.

Catherine writes

It would have been easy for David to avoid growing stuff this year based on last years failure, to decide that he couldn't grow stuff because he was not green fingered. But (after a little bit of persuasion) he didn't.

Maybe that's how it's supposed to work. Maybe last year was only a failure up to the point he decided to have another go. Maybe the act of faith, the risk of trying again turned last years attempt into a part of this years success. Most entrepeneurs have several business 'failures' before they 'succeed'. In the end, it's what they learn through the earlier attempts that enables them to 'succeed'. And it's their character, their willingness to keep taking the risk, that gets them there in the end.

David writes
Had tuna mayo sandwiches for lunch. With tomato. The sweet taste of success. Lets keep taking risks, lets be people of faith, lets rejoice in our 'failures' and celebrate our success!