I'm A Failure, Again!

“My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart
And my portion forever.”
— Psalm 73:26

Currently, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Midland, TX. I thought tonight was to be a moment of reflection and preparation for a leadership camp that would begin tomorrow. However, I discovered in route (too far away to do anything about it) that it began today. I missed the first day. I failed my team. I was assuming this year was the same as the past 8 years and I was wrong. I failed. And there was nothing I could do to fix it.

Fortunately, I have a great team. They were able to work through the problem (of ME) and make it work. I’m working on adjusting the schedule to get all the main topics in tomorrow and make the camp the best it can be in spite of me.

Failure is a part of human life. One I hate, but often endure. I am physically sick to my stomach and ill from stress on letting others down. I have missed less than a handful of speaking engagements in over 30 years. Yet, I can remember every single one of them, vividly. They haunt me! They terrify me to the point I most often show up hours early to engagements to make sure I don’t miss them.

Failure is statistically one of the top two greatest fears people face in the corporate world. The other being public speaking. I fear both. I fail at both. I fail at most things. Yet, I never quit. I never stop trying.

“But God is the strength of my heart / and my portion forever.”

I often ask audiences to play a game with me; the opposite game. I give them a word and ask them to give me the opposite. I’ll say, “Up”. They say, “Down”. On and on we go until I say, “Success”. They always say, “Failure”. Then, I say, “Wrong”. They say, “Right”. And I say, “No! I’m telling you, you are wrong! The opposite of success is not failure.”

Successful people fail at a much higher rate than unsuccessful people. Just read a biography of any successful person in history. They just don’t quit. They keep trying. They keep pushing on until they get it right.

The opposite of success is when we settle. It is when we come to the point we quit trying. When we say, “This is as good as it is going to get. I’m done.” That is when we have done the opposite of success.

Galatians 6:9 encourages us, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

This is for all the failures out there and I am one of you. I have failed often. I have failed in this moment to show up when requested. I have failed my family. I have failed at my job. I have failed my friends. I have failed in so many ways. Yet, “God is the strength of my heart,” and I desire to share that strength today.

For me in this moment, it means changing a schedule and maximizing my time tomorrow. For my family, it means changing priorities to maximize my time with each of them. For my job, it means changing my focus to capitalize on opportunities. However, if I’m honest, I don’t fear failure. I fear more than anything else succeeding at something that doesn’t matter.

Failure is not the end. It just is what it is until it isn’t. And the only way we can change what it is, is if we never quit. Trust in the Lord for your strength. Cast your cares upon him. Do not fixate on the failures in life, but look towards the future and allow Christ to work through you!

“…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Wherever you are today… Whatever the failure you have experienced… No matter how much you feel you are lacking in ability, talent, character, presence or position… GET UP AND RUN!

Reach for the goal! God will be the strength of your heart! Never settle. Never quit! Act today on the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.