Failures Are Lessons for Growth and Change

Season 3 Episode 16 - What do Thomas Edison, Moses, and Joseph have in common?  Listen to this episode and find out!

"Reflect on This" is a once-a-week, short devotional podcast, where I share what I am learning about following Jesus, through applying eternal biblical principles to life, in practical ways.  Not religion, but RELATIONSHIP - relationship with Jesus!
 
If you like the podcast, please tell your friends and family about it, and subscribe/follow it, because it helps others to find the podcast more easily.
 
Resources that inspired some episodes:

"Worship Is My Weapon" podcast by Rita Springer:  https://youtu.be/RucXhr1zYGU?si=WeVTpssmUP4rMXlL 

"My Heart, Christ's Home" by Robert Munger

"The Language of Rivers and Stars" by Seth Lewis

“Dream Small:  The Secret Power of the Ordinary Christian Life” by Seth Lewis

Seth Lewis blog:  https://sethlewis.ie/

35 Bible Verses About Listening To Others (Explained) - Bible Repository 

"Restoration Year: Devotions to Transform Your Relationships, Spirit, and Faith" by John Eldredge

"Boundaries" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

"The Pleasure of His Company" by Dutch Sheets

"Fresh Air" by Chris Hodges

“The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts” by Gary Chapman

"The Lies We Believe: Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life" by Dr. Chris Thurman

Featured ministries and resources:
 
“Agape Puppets” (ministry)
This is an amazing world-wide ministry that uses puppet shows to reach children (and their parents) for Christ, in cultures that are generally not very open to the Gospel.  To learn more, go to: https://theagapepuppets.org/ 

"Manufacture Good" (ministry)
Manufacture Good is a Christian ministry that offers paid apprenticeships to men who need a second chance.  These apprentices learn biblical principles, character, and valuable woodworking and metalworking skills which lead to employment opportunities.  You can shop their catalog of fine home and office products, order a standard or custom piece of furniture, make a donation, and learn more about this amazing ministry, at: https://manufacturegood.org/.

"The World and Everything in It" (podcast)
This is a weekday 35-minute podcast that presents headline news, in-depth news articles, media reviews, and opinion pieces from a Christian world view.  Their stated mission is "biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires."
 
“Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage” (podcast) 
This is a once a week 30-minute podcast hosted by Greg and Erin Smalley, who head up the marriage team at Focus on the Family.  Each episode addresses a different aspect of marriage, using biblical principles, featured guests, practical advice, and a mixture of humor and candidness.  
 
Music credits:
Beauty by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all

Transcript

Thomas Edison invented the microphone, the phonograph, the incandescent light, talking movies, and more than 1000 other things.  As of December 1914, he had worked for 10 years on a storage battery.  This had greatly strained his finances.  One evening a spontaneous combustion started in the film room of his manufacturing plant, where there were many flammable materials.  The fire quickly spread until it had engulfed ten of the buildings in his plant.  Everything was destroyed.  Edison was 67 years old.

The inventor’s 24-year old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father.  He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.  “My heart ached for him,” said Charles.  “He was 67 — no longer a young man — and everything was going up in flames.”  Would this tragic event break his spirit?

The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and made a profound statement.  “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”   

Edison determined that he'd lost about $920,000 (about $23 million in today's dollars). His plant's insurance covered only about a third of the total damage.

But after just three weeks, with a sizable loan from his friend Henry Ford, Edison refocused his work and got part of the plant up and running again. His employees worked double shifts and set to work producing more of his cylinder phonographs than ever. Edison and his team went on to make almost $10 million in revenue the following year.

This story is a powerful illustration of an important truth:  Failures should not be feared.  They are lessons for growth and change.  

One biblical example of using failure as a lesson for growth and change is Moses.  In the second chapter of Exodus, we read that Moses, who grew up in the Pharaoh’s household, saw an Egyptian one day beating one of his kinsmen.  In a moment of anger, he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.  When Pharaoh heard about this, Moses fled for his life and settled in the land of Midian, where he lived for 40 years.  During those years, he had ample opportunity to reflect on those events – to learn from his mistakes, and to grow and mature.  During that time, Moses learned how to walk humbly before God, and not take things into his own hands.  It was a time of preparation for God’s big assignment for him – to lead his kinsmen out of Egypt and into freedom.  

Another biblical example is Joseph, whose story we read in the latter chapters of Genesis.  The twelfth child of Jacob, Joseph unwisely shared with his brothers the dreams that God had given him – dreams that seemed to foretell of him one day ruling over his brothers (and even his father).  These brothers were already hostile toward him, due to the favoritism that the father had shown toward him.  Joseph must have noticed this.  Yet he failed to demonstrate discernment and humility, and told his brothers about not just one of the dreams, but both dreams.  As a result, his brothers arranged for him to be sold into slavery in Egypt.  And worse yet, he soon ended up in prison because of false accusations.  During those years as a slave and a prisoner, he had ample opportunity to reflect on those events – to learn from his mistakes, and to grow and mature. During that time, Joseph learned how to walk humbly before God, thank Him in all circumstances, and truly listen to God for guidance.  This was a time of preparation for God’s big assignment for him --  to create and lead a plan to store surplus food during 7 years of great abundance, so that all the Egyptians (and Joseph’s family) would have food during the subsequent 7 years of famine. 

The following verses list some biblical principles for wisely dealing with failure:

·         In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB)  [Application:  Thank God in everything… including failure.]

·         For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ISV)  [Application:  Trust God to use our failures to fulfill His good plans for us.]

·         And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28 NASB)  [Application:  Trust that God causes all things – even failure – to work together for our good.]

Let me say it again:  Failures should not be feared.  They are lessons for growth and change.  

Today, I encourage you to “Reflect on This.”

[Adapted from two articles: 1) “The Wisdom to Deal with Failure”, part of the “Marks of Maturity” series at www.bible.org, and 2) “Thomas Edison's Reaction To His Factory Burning Down Shows Why He Was So Successful” by Richard Feloni at www.businessinsider.com ]