Failure And Faith

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

When it comes to heroes revered by three world religions, no individual shines brighter than Moses. The deliverer of the Hebrews from Egypt is mentioned more times in the New Testament than any other Old Testament figure and is the most prominent prophetic figure in the Muslim Koran. What is it about Moses that makes him a hero to so many?

The juxtaposition of failure and faith is probably at the heart of Moses’ mystique. We can identify with Moses’ failure as a young man guilty of manslaughter. And we can also identify with his fears and doubts when God called him to be the deliverer of his Jewish people. But beyond identifying with Moses’ humanity, we revere his faith: he was brave, faithful, outspoken, compassionate, and loyal. And he kept his eye on the eternal prize. Moses was all we know we are and all we know we want to be. He was a failure, but he was also faithful. And God honored his faithfulness instead of rejecting him for his failure. If you have failed, don’t give up. God used Moses, and He wants to use you.

The worst failure is failing to act on (have faith in) that which you know to be true.

You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.

EDWIN LOUIS COLE