Failure

In Michael Franzese's great book, "I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips From A Former Mob Boss", he discusses how you can learn from your failures.

Franzese writes, "Ray Kroc failed in real estate before creating McDonald's. Henry Ford's first two automobile businesses failed. R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught a buzz. Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka sold only 100 units of an automatic rice cooker that ended up burning the rice; later, they built a cheap tape recorder for Japanese schools, which laid the groundwork for the Sony Corporation. Bill Hewlett and David Packard's early failed products included a lettuce-picking machine and an electric weight-loss apparatus. Walt Disney of all people was fired by the editor of a newspaper because he had 'no good ideas.'"

Franzese concludes, "The list of successful business 'failures' is a long one. But that's not the point. Here's what is: The one sure characteristic all of these folks had in common was their willingness to pick themselves off the floor, dust themselves off, and try again. And sometimes again and again and again."

Are you on the floor today? Have you failed at some ministry endeavor or project, perhaps again and again and again? Then you're in good company. You stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ray Kroc, Henry Ford, R. H. Macy, Akio Morita, Masaru Ibuka, Bill Hewlett, David Packard, and Walt Disney. That's a group that anyone would love to join.

Pick yourself off the floor, dust yourself off, and try again. And again and again and again, if necessary. Get back in the game. Don't slink off to the sidelines. Someday soon you will be a very successful "failure" in your church or ministry.