Failure As Preparation
When Confederate General Jubal Early approached Washington D.C. to capture it, he was unable to do so because Wallace marched his greatly outnumbered troops to fight a battle that he knew they would lose. However, Wallace’s defeat delayed Early’s army by one day. This enabled the two divisions Grant had sent by steamers to arrive just in time. (Lincoln, Sandburg, p 528). “Men’s best successes come after their disappointments” (Henry Ward Beecher).
It is easy to think that our efforts are wasted, if we know they will be inadequate for an immediate victory. Oftentimes, though, we fail to see the larger picture. Our part is to do our duty. We should do what we can, even when it seems inadequate, because we simply don’t know what our part might contribute to the larger outcome. Defeat can pave the way for eventual victory. This was true of the Israelites when they were initially defeated by Ai (Josh 8:1-23). Their second attempt was successful and they learned some valuable lessons through the first defeat: God must be obeyed (1 Sam 15:22), we must turn from our sin when the Lord brings it to our attention (Ps 66:18), and we must recognize that a failure is not the final word for us (Rom 8:28). “Defeat is simply a signal to press onward” (Helen Keller).
We should never underestimate the value of our efforts. We frequently can’t appreciate how what we are doing can affect some other person or event. Our actions have effects and we cannot understand exactly what kind of effects they will produce. So let us do our part and not concern ourselves with the immediate results. It is enough that we do what we ought to do (Lk 17:10).
When God wants a couple or family to alter course, the revelation is normally clear.