What is your attitude towards failure?

Failure is something everybody dreads and nobody wants to be associated with it. The well known antonym of failure is success. While success is well celebrated and accepted, failure is disdained with no associations.

As a child growing up, I had a clear understanding of the difference between success and failure. Parents find it hard to encourage or support their children when they fail at school or in some sort of exercises. Likewise, friends, colleagues and society at large look down on people experiencing some forms of failure.


There are diverse forms of failure ranging from academic, career, business, financial, marital, parental, ministerial failures etc. Over the years, I have come to realize that people's opinions about your failure is insignificant. What is important is your personal attitude towards failure. The challenge is not in failing but remaining in that state of failure.

From the knowledge of the scripture, the story of Joseph is a very graphic picture of failure. This was a boy who had great dreams of leadership. He went from pit in the hands of his brothers to slavery at Potiphar's house. While serving faithfully at Potiphar's house, he was victimized and later sent to the prison. He was faced with failures at every facet of life but one thing was sure that he maintained the right and positive attitude towards failure. At the end, he became a prime minister and great success in Egypt (read Genesis 37, 39, 40 and 41).

Jabez was another man with the story of failure from birth. His name alone signified failure because anyone that is called sorrow can only be full of failures. Also, Jabez maintained a positive attitude and prayed to God to change his condition. The bible recorded that Jabez was more honourable than his brethren (1 Chronicle 4:9-10).

What is your attitude towards failure? I love the saying that, "Failure is not final". It is just a transition process for everyone that will develop a positive and right attitude. Thomas Edison that invented the filament bulb failed thousands of times while performing experiments to develop the bulb. While he was failing, he maintained the positive attitude and with time had a breakthrough. Do you know what he said concerning the failing periods? "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" - Thomas Edison.

Whatever form of failure you might be going through presently which you have a wrong disposition, I challenge you to change and develop a positive attitude. You will definitely see things turn around for better.

Let me share with you a write up on failure written in this great book I read several years ago: Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! - Robert H. Schuller

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure.....it does mean you haven't succeeded yet.

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing.....it does mean you have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool.....it does mean you had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced.....it does mean you were willing to try.

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it.....it does mean you have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior.....it does mean you are not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life.....it does mean you have a reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn't mean you should give up.....it does mean you must try harder.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it.....it does mean it will take a little longer.

Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you.....it does mean God has a better idea.

As earlier mentioned, failure is not final. Whatever area that you have failed or failing right now, I encourage you to brace up and start afresh. Great success is ahead of you.