Failure or Finish? (Part 1)

Proverbs 24:16 "A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."

God has perfect plans, but He works through imperfect leaders to accomplish His plans.  Because you are imperfect, you must understand the reasons for failure and know what to do when you fail.

We need to learn the basic causes of failure. Go has given us many examples of leaders whose lives ended in failure and those who turned failure into success.  We need to be given Biblical guidelines for facing failure and turning it to success.

There are three basic reasons for failure:

1. Failure in relationship:

Many leaders fail because they have an improper relationship with God.  They may not have developed the proper spiritual foundations listed in Hebrews 6:1-3.  When they try to build a work for God on a poor spiritual foundation, it collapses. Some leaders get so busy doing "God's work" that they  neglect prayer, Bible study, fasting, and seeking the Lord and His will.  Others lose their first intense love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of God and His Kingdom being the priority, cares and riches of the world, making money, or pleasing people begin to take first place in their lives.

King Uzziah is an example of a leader who failed because of his own relationship with God.  King Uzziah started well.  He sought the Lord in 2 Chronicles 26:6-8.  He did well in battles against Israel's enemies.  But when King Uzziah became well known and prideful, he began to "act corruptly,” was unfaithful to God, and no longer sought the Lord according to Verse 16.

To be a leader, you must have close fellowship with God. Many leaders who have failed discover that their problem began with a failure in their own personal relationship with God.

2. Failure by commission:

"Failure by commission" means failure caused by your own sinful actions.  Sins of "commission" include every wrong action, word, attitude or motive.  Such acts or sins of "commission" result in failure.  We have had many Elmer Gantry's in the pulpit, in gospel music, and in other types of ministry. These individuals have continually abused their callings by doing things that are forbidden by God and when the revelation comes out turn their failures into objects of resentment toward God and the church.

3. Failure by omission:

"Failure by omission" means failure caused by what you do not do.  When you sin by "omission,” you fail to do what you should do.  The Bible says:

James 4:17 "For to him that knoweth to do right and doeth it not it is sin."

Sins of "omission" are things the Word of God says you should do but which you fail to do.  Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His time for such "omissions.”  He said...

Matthew 23:23 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not leave the other undone."