Failing Forward Spiritually

Tom Peters is a leadership guru. His book “In Search of Excellence” was one of the first leadership/business books I ever read. I was challenged by what he said to look at the physical plant of the church from an outsider's viewpoint.

He uses a phrase “Failing Forward” to describe the process of allowing employees/associates to fail in a good attempt but helping them to learn from their failures. Last weekend, the Miami Dolphins football coach put in a rookie punter who promptly got his first punt partially blocked. The coach, using the phrase 'failing forward' said he was glad because the rookie now knew by experience what he would have to change to succeed. By the way, he did. His next 3 punts were perfect.

I don't use business models for the church. But as I was doing my devotions in 1 John I noticed a curious parallelism.

Because we are sinners, God knows that we will fail. The Psalmist says that “God remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14) He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable us not to fail, but when we do, He reminds us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” but he wants us to “fail forward” because John write “I am writing this (the relationship between confession and forgiveness) so that you won’t sin.” (1 John 1:9-2:2)

Next time we fail, remember to fail forward by confessing sin, receive forgiveness and cleansing and moving ahead desiring and determining not to sin.

There's usually several principles we can learn when a Christian sins: What led me "into temptation"? Was I in a location or around people that enabled me to make the wrong choice and rebel against God? What Scripture speaks to this sin that I can memorize because it is God's Word that will help me stay away from sin?

James talks about sin occuring when we are carried away and enticed by our own lusts. (James 1:14). So by fully confessing our sin, receiving the forgiveness that God promises and then determining to learn from that failure (failing forward), maybe we can stop the cycle that seems to defeat us as much as it plagued the Israelites in the time of the Judges (Sin -> Punishment -> Repentence -> Deliverance).