Peter was by nature, a risk-taker.  When he saw Jesus walking on the water, Peter jumped out of the boat himself.  He ended up sinking, but at least he took the risk.

When I was in college, I sang in a men’s choir.  Our director, who wanted us to always sing out- told us at practice: “If you make a mistake, make it loud.”  Peter lived by those words.

It is possible to avoid failure -don’t try anything.  But that’s no way to live.

The people who accomplish the greatest things, are people who attempt the greatest things.  And often they fail.  Often they fail many times before ever succeeding.

Dr. Seuss was rejected by 23 publishers before he found one who would publish his book.  It sold 6 million copies.

Henry Ford went bankrupt in his first year in the automobile business.  Two years later, his second company also failed.  But, you have to admit, his third one did pretty well.

The great Babe Ruth led the Major Leagues in strikeouts almost every year he played.  But most of us are willing to overlook that because he led the Majors in home-runs too.

Here’s a man who had an awful struggle through life:  When he was 23, he was a partner in a store.  But because of his partner’s dishonesty, the Sheriff closed his store.  He ran for the legislature but lost the election.  The next year he failed in business again.  It took him 15 years to pay off his debts from the failed business.

At the age of 25, he was elected to the State Legislature, but a few months later his sweetheart died.  The following year he suffered a nervous breakdown and was near insanity and suicide.  He was taken to his parents’ house to recover.

He didn’t quit.  He ran for Speaker of the House- and lost.

He tried to get nominated for Congress but was overwhelmingly defeated.

Finally he was elected to Congress but after a two year term, he failed to be re-elected.  So he tried to make a living as a land-officer, but was turned down for the job.

He ran for the Senate but was pressured to step out of the race.

At the next opportunity, he ran for the Senate again and was overwhelmingly defeated.

So, why not run for President?

That’s what he did – in 1860, Abraham Lincoln

Stop right there. Can you imagine what the experts must have been saying?

What the voices of doubt in Lincoln’s own head must have been saying?

He ran and won the election to be President of the U.S.  And Abraham Lincoln, depending on the Lord’s help, led this nation successfully through its darkest hour.

You see, Success is not avoiding failure, Success is getting up again after you’ve failed so that you can risk again.

You can turn failure into success when you take risks.

Failure does not need to be the final chapter in the story of our lives.  Winston Churchill once said, “Success is nothing more than going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Erwin Lutzer wrote a book with the title: “Failure, Back Door To Success.”  Yes, somedays, the dragon wins, but failure can be turned into success.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-14