This morning, Colin Cowherd had a beautiful rant about how we no longer allow people, and specifically children, to fail. Colin noted how failure is an important ingredient for success. Some of the most successful people were told no or had early failures before finding their way (Aaron Rodgers, Michael Jordan, Bob Costas). Failure makes us stronger.
Colin is right, and Jesus would agree.
So many parents are terrified of their children failing. Everyone has to be a winner. My fear is that if we teach children that everyone wins and that everyone will be successful, we may have encouraged children, but we will have depressed, anxious, and crushed teens and emerging adolescents.
Here is the reality: We live in a fallen and sinful world that is difficult and where there is failure.
Jesus never tells us to be winners. He tells us to follow Him, and that He will be present with us in good times and bad.
Now I’m not saying that we need to crush little Johnny’s spirit and tell him at age 5 he will never make it to the big leagues, but we shouldn’t shelter our children from failure. What we should do is show them how failure can be used for growth and perspective.
Jeremiah 29:11 was not written for winners who have never felt weak or vulnerable.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
May we as parents and youth pastors free students and children from the bondage of perfection and help them become good stewards of the failures they will experience.
