Persevering After Failure
As long as we sense that we are called to do a particular task, we should persevere in it even if we fail. Sometimes, though, failure is a sign that the Lord has called us to do something else. It is like a closed door (Rev 3:7) that can help us know God’s will. We simply may not have the passion or gifts to succeed in the area in which we failed.
This was true of Ulysses S. Grant, who failed at both real estate and farming before eventually succeeding as an army general in the Civil War. It was also the case with Thomas Paine, who published Common Sense, a pamphlet which greatly assisted the cause of American Independence. Prior to that, however, Paine had failed as a teacher, tax collector, shop keeper, corset maker, and husband in two marriages (Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause, p 317-318). A further example is Samuel Adams, who had a profound effect on American Independence. Yet, Adams was a failure when it came to earning money to support his wife and children. He had to rely on gifts from friends and neighbors.
When we believe we are called to a certain task, though, we should persevere even if we fail. Many of the prophets ‘failed’ in that few responded to their message (Isa 6:8-10). Here are some great people who experienced failure but did not allow that to deter them: (1) George Washington lost most of the battles he fought in the Revolutionary War. (2) Abraham Lincoln failed at nearly all his attempts to get elected. (3) It took William Carey 7 years of missionary work in India before he baptized the first convert in 1800. Remember Gal 6:9. Let us not give up!
When God wants a couple or family to alter course, the revelation is normally clear.