Murray Warmath, former head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers, once said about his team’s pathetic win-loss record: “If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education.”

Do you feel like you too are getting nothing but a “good education”? Do you feel like you’re knocked down more times than you deserve, crossing the goal line fewer times than you should? We all go through stages of defeat — sometimes stages of extended defeat — but Warmath is right: this is where lessons are learned; it’s where we get the best education.

Bill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher.” One of the world’s most successful men understands this principle: You learn more from your losses than you learn from your victories … that is, if you’re willing to take the time to evaluate your failures.

Ever preach a bad sermon? When it happens, how do you respond? Do you shrug your shoulders and say, “Oh well; guess I wasn’t ‘on’ today.”? Do you ask, “I wonder what was wrong with those people today?” Or do you relive it moment by painful moment, analyzing the introduction, scrutinizing the outline, reframing your major thoughts?

It’s the sermons that fall flat that often teach us our most valuable lessons in preparation and dependence on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I am thankful for the sermons that went awry. In the long run, they’ve helped me preach more effectively and more consistently.

This principle works in every area of life, if you’re willing to learn from your past mistakes — jobs that didn’t work out, relationships that failed, ministry projects that fell short of expectations, and on and on. We need to get in the habit of using mistakes as a foundation for a good education. Failure is a good teacher if you’re willing to pay attention to what it says.

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20)

John Ruskin said, “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”

In what ways is your work transforming you? Since the ministry is not without its difficulties, some who serve God in the local church let the long-hours, low pay, unseen results, and undeserved criticism make them bitter and disillusioned.

The book of Hebrews says that Christ was made perfect through his sufferings. This is not referring to Christ’s sinless perfection; he had already achieved that. “Perfect” here refers to his fully realizing his potential — fully accomplishing the mission that God had given him. How was this accomplished? Through suffering. His suffering brought many to salvation.

And it was only right that God — who made everything and for whom everything was made — should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation. (Hebrews 2:10 NLT)

Your work may involve difficulty and hardship. Like Christ, your suffering can make you a perfect leader — it can enable you to fully realize your potential and fully accomplish God’s plan for your life.

Remember that the reward for your work is not a pat on the back or an increase in pay. The reward for your work is the transformation of your soul into the likeness of Christ, and the opportunity to hear the ultimate words of approval: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

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Jesus said, “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

This principle should be the driving force behind our ministry efforts. It’s not enough to play it safe, reaching only for goals within our grasp. Like Schuller has been challenging church leaders for decades, we should attempt things so great for the glory of God that unless he intervenes, we will certainly fail.

Think about the goals projects you’re currently engaged in. Are there any impossible items on the list? Is there anything beyond your reach? If not, maybe it’s time to aim a little higher.

Jesus said, “With God, all things are possible.” We need to remember what this promise does and doesn’t imply.

It doesn’t mean that all things are easy. Accomplishing the impossible typically takes extended effort.

It doesn’t mean that all things are immediate. Reaching worthwhile goals require a long-term investment of time.

It doesn’t mean that all things will be painless. Personal sacrifice is part of the process.

It may not be easy, immediate, or painless, but for those willing to step out in faith, for those bold enough to trust God to do the impossible, for those willing to pay the price of perseverance, the reward will always be greater than the investment. As Paul said…

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Check your list one more time. Is there any impossible thing in the works?

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