Don’t Fear Failure

The men of Ai chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. Joshua 7:4-5

Scottish playwright Robert Burns is generally credited with coining the phrase that eventually became

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we envision. In this case, Joshua’s troops suffered their first defeat. This happened because of one man’s sin. He had collected spoils from a previous battle and kept them for himself against God’s specific orders.

After the sin had been eradicated, Joshua led his soldiers back to Ai and soundly defeated them.

Failure doesn’t always mean the objective is wrong. Football teams don’t score every time they get the ball, but their objective never changes. There’s almost always more than one solution to a problem.

Perhaps a team you’re leading has suffered a series of setbacks. Before you question your goals, take a critical look at the methods you’re using to achieve them.