Failure is something we all try to avoid—leaders especially. When faced with a task, ministers, pastors, and other church staff will count the cost by identifying the steps needed to succeed. But failure will always be a part of life on this side of heaven; in fact, we may experience failure more often than we experience success.
So what can we do?
Basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Rather than running from failure, we can embrace it.
In John 15:1–2, Jesus says, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (NLT).
What many consider failure could be God’s act of pruning. According to Jesus, branches that are not producing fruit will be cut off. And even branches that are producing fruit will be cut back. These kinds of losses can be deeply painful. But pruning is part of God’s holy work in our lives to make us more like Him.
Pruning helps shape ministers into the leaders they were meant to be. Thus failure, from a godly perspective, is actually an integral part of the process of sanctification. Failure helps pastors become better leaders. It gives way to perseverance.
We can embrace moments of failure, learn from mistakes of the past, and move forward knowing God will guide our persevering steps.
“Master Gardener, cut away what is dead from our church leaders’ hearts. Help them to seek you first, embrace their failures, and be responsive to your work in their lives. Help our ministers to learn from their sins and their mistakes and submit to you with humility. We pray that they will see your hands at work in pruning them toward fruitfulness.”
