Failing Is OkayÀpẹrẹ

CHARACTER FORMATION Glory, in its simplest idea, is display of character worthy of honor. God is in the business of forming people of impressive character, worthy of honor, using failures and setbacks as catalysts. Why is ‘character’ paramount? It is because ‘character’ is your spirit. It defines who you are. It speaks of you, even when you are dead. Character is contagious. There was something attractive in Elijah’s “spirit” that Elisha wanted a double portion of it (2 Kings 2:9). Such character is formed over time, just as jagged stones smoothed under the constant influence of pounding streams of water. My first work experience was a fiasco. I was employed as a factory-manager in a company owned by a drunkard. I reported directly to him. He would come to office inebriated, which put me in numerous embarrassing situations with fuming customers and vendors. Within months I fell victim to company politics and was fired for not being canny enough in business matters. My whole world collapsed that day. I was furious because I’d never before been called incompetent and that too by a drunkard! But in hindsight, those experiences were required to develop resilience in me. I learnt that those who desire Christ-like character get entrusted with pounding streams of struggles and failures. God uses their response to such struggles and failures to shape character. King David responded to his personal moral failure by earnestly desiring a pure heart and a steadfast spirit (Ps. 51:10). Joseph responded to crises by being diligent, patient and faithful. God’s redeeming work has always involved turning a distressing situation into a plan to accomplish salvation (Gen. 50:20). The business world needs redemption too. We can choose to be just another cog in the corporate wheel. Or else we can choose to infuse glory into the mundane and transform the character of people, perhaps even the character of the organisation, in the face of “light and momentary troubles”. Prayer: Lord, I give my failings and struggles into your able hands. Do your glorious work of transformation in and through me.