INNOVATION: The DevotionalSample

“THE FEAR OF FAILURE” Most youth leaders I speak to can usually see where they need to innovate, but they often find it difficult to implement this change. I believe the number one reason why we don’t act on implementing innovative solutions is down to the fear of failure. I know this because I have done it myself - I remember times when I could see a new way of doing things, which I knew would be better in the long run, but I didn’t pursue it, because the thought of failing overshadowed the thought of succeeding. In Isaiah 43:18 it says: “Do not remember the former things, or ponder the things of the past.” What this Scripture is saying is that thinking back to times of failure to invalidate taking action in the present is unhealthy. Fear of failure prevents innovation and stops us from trying things and taking risks. Our failures should not cause us to run away from God, but they should actually cause us to run towards him! As a leader, I have started thinking about how I can build a culture where it is OK to take a risk and where it is OK to fail; a culture where our failings do not define us as a failure. If you want to know if you have a culture where it is OK to fail, look at the response when something negative happens. If the blame game occurs, then there is not a culture where failure is acceptable, but if the response is an overwhelming sense of people rallying together to fix the problem regardless of who caused it, then you have a culture where people can take an innovative risk, because there is permission to fail. The US politician, Robert F Kennedy, said that “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” When I look at the team I am a part of, there are leaders who are still working on the basics of youth ministry and those who have been in the game for over 20 years. It would be crazy of me to have the same level of expectation for both of these sets of leaders! We need to dare to fail greatly, knowing that there will be fruit in the long-term. Action Point – Think about how you can harness a culture of positive failure within your sphere of influence.