The Cost of Failure and Success

We have been in Gettysburg for one week and have had the opportunity to tour a couple of the battle fields from the Civil War. It was a humbling walk across the fields knowing the cost that was paid, on the ground that our feet touched. The cost that was paid, in order to succeed….

Failure and Success

No man is worthy to succeed until he is willing to fail.

Failure and Success: Greatness Has Its Price

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
--2 Timothy 2:3-4

The laws of success operate also in the higher field of the soul-- spiritual greatness has its price. Eminence in the things of the Spirit demands a devotion to these things more complete than most of us are willing to give. But the law cannot be escaped. If we would be holy we know the way; the law of holy living is before us. The prophets of the Old Testament, the apostles of the New and, more than all, the sublime teachings of Christ are there to tell us how to succeed....

The amount of loafing practiced by the average Christian in spiritual things would ruin a concert pianist if he allowed himself to do the same thing in the field of music. The idle puttering around that we see in church circles would end the career of a big league pitcher in one week. No scientist could solve his exacting problem if he took as little interest in it as the rank and file of Christians take in the art of being holy. The nation whose soldiers were as soft and undisciplined as the soldiers of the churches would be conquered by the first enemy that attacked it. Triumphs are not won by men in easy chairs.

Success is costly.