John Maxwell, the prolific author, speaker, and pastor who focuses primarily on leadership notes, that God uses people who fail because there aren’t any other kind around. Only God can turn a MESS into a MESSAGE, a TEST into a TESTIMONY, a TRIAL into a TRIUMPH, and a VICTIM into VICTORY.
These are just a few well-known people who were failures before remarkable success.
Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie “Snow White.” He went onto become the guy who redefined American childhood.
Oprah Winfrey was publicly fired from her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore for getting “too emotionally invested in her stories.” But Winfrey rebounded and became the undisputed queen of television talk shows before amassing a media empire. Today she is worth a cool $3 billion, according to Forbes.
Colonel Harland David Sanders was fired from dozens of jobs before founding a fried chicken empire. KFC is now one of the most recognizable franchises in the world, with over 18,000 locations.
When Sidney Poitier first auditioned for the American Negro Theatre, he flubbed his lines and spoke in a heavy Caribbean accent, which made the director angrily tell him to stop wasting his time and go get a job as a dishwasher. Poitier worked on his craft and eventually became a hugely successful Hollywood star. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor (“Lillies of the Field,” 1963) and helped break down the color barrier in the American film industry.
Weaker people might have given up; however, they remained focused and used their failures to fail forward.
Moreover, there are numerous examples in God’s word where He uses men and women to His glory who we might think that He would have turned His back on them. We can draw strength from the story of these heroes who blew it.
David had an affair and was a murderer
The disciples fell asleep while praying
Elijah was moody and suicidal
Gideon was insecure
Jacob was a cheater
Job went bankrupt
Jonah ran from God
Joseph was abused
Martha was a worrier
Miriam was a gossip
Moses stuttered
Noah got drunk
Paul persecuted Christians before becoming one
Peter was a hothead and denied Christ three times
Rahab was a prostitute
The Samaritan woman was divorced
Samson was a womanizer
Sara was impatient
Thomas was a doubter
Zacchaeus was moody and money hungry
How about you? What can you add to the list about yourself? Whatever it is, our heavenly Father is a God of redemption. He is not done with you and still loves you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Stay focused and encouraged in faith!