How do we handle failure?
I am reading and leading a group of people through the book, The Shack. In the book God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit appear to the main character in person. The four of them were preparing a meal, Jesus drops a bowl of some food. The bowl breaks and food splatters everywhere and gets on God. What would be your response if you were the one who dropped the bowl at a party at your house and the bowl broke and food splattered all over your guests? What would be your response if one of your kids, siblings, friends, etc., dropped the bowl?
Jesus and the Holy spirit responded by cleaning up the mess, Jesus cleaned God’s feet and clothes. God just said that the particular item would not be served, no problem. God never blasted Jesus for his mistake. There was no fear of failure put into Jesus. The relationship was more important than the mess. The law did not dictate a response but Grace did, as in Galatians 3:1-14.
How should we be changed by this story in the Shack and by the scripture in Galations in response to failure, our own or someone elses? Let’s not “cry over spilt milk”.
- Written by Todd Baughman
November 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
“The relationship was more important than the mess.”
I think that this is a great post, and the exerpt that you mentioned was one of my favorites in the book. My immediate reaction would be to laugh at this situation, should it happen to me. I love the grace that ensued during this scene. I loved the image of Jesus and the Sarayu cleaning God’s feet. I found this to be absolutely beautiful.
My question is this… what if the relationship is the mess? I have been in a mad battle to salvage a relationship for almost a year now and have decided to just give up. How do you know when it’s time to throw in the towel?
November 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Kerry, my response would be to never look at it as “throwing in the towel” but maybe setting boundries and agreeing to disagree. I think the strength of a true friendship is what happens when you both disagree. If you can move on and continue the relationship, then you should never have to “throw in the towel”. Usually when someone in a relationship is ready to “throw in the towel” it says to me that the other person is not willing to forgive. In that case it is not your problem but to pray for a change. Do all you can in a relationship to bring restoration. If what you do is rejected, pray, set boundries, but continue to love that other person until they change and hopefully they will. It will always be hard to go through a mess in a relationship if the other person is not as willing as you are.
When Ed and I and our wives started Evergreen 7 years ago we said up front that we are more committed to our relationships than the church. If the church failed, our relationships would hold true.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
That entry got a red star next to it in my copy (and I don’t write in books). Funny thing is that if someone else did it, I too would laugh and try to re-assure them it just doesn’t matter.
But if I did it - ooooooooooeeeew I would be mad at myself for making a mess that had to be cleaned up.
Hmmmmm…….