09/04/2024
Iāve found recently that even the idea of baking made me want to break things and cry. And I couldnāt quite put my finger on why, just that the thing that used to bring me so much joy was my ultimate source of frustration. Maybe itās that I lost my grandmother this year; the woman who inspired my passion for baking. Or maybe itās some postpartum funk whilst settling into the new normal as a family of five. Regardless of the source, when it came to my business, my passion, I just felt like a failure.
By the worldās definition, failure can be quite final. A more modern interpretation may have connotations of self-actualization and growth. But what does the Bible say about failure? How does God define it? How does He define success?
I initially thought it would be hard to think of āfailure-storiesā from the bible to glean from, but once I started, I couldnāt stop:
Adam
Abraham
David
Moses
Samson
Jonah
Peter
The entire nation of Israel (multiple times)
I have experienced what seems to be like endless failure in trying to start a successful food-based career over the last decade. Ideas not panning out, customers canceling contracts, and maybe most significant, not making any profit.
Iāll admit, when it comes to the numbers game, I feel in a complete fog. I had a fairly good grasp on math in school, but maybe having babies has fried that part of my brain. Also, when I hear words like āmarketing campaign, demographic, profit marginā, my mind tends to drift elsewhere; the most likely culprit behind my un-success story. And yet I run back to it, out of compulsion and yearning.
āFailures get our attention. They cause us to reevaluate our spiritual maturity. God often uses the failures we experience to humble us, remind us of our limitations, make us more willing to depend on God, submit to His commands, and remain open to His leading in our lives.ā Russell Gehrlein
So, hereās to waiting on the Lord each moment in our homes, our churches, our communities and our businesses. Let it never supersede our desire to please Him above all things, in all things.