“Beethoven’s early tutor once remarked of him that, “as a composer he is hopeless.” Beethoven ploughed on regardless, and most would agree that this worked out pretty well for lovers of classical music.
“Michael Jordan, perhaps one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, was cut from his high school basketball team. He also decided to stick to what he wanted to do, and I doubt he regrets not doing something else.
“Elvis Presley was fired after just one show at “The Grand Ol Opry” and told, “You ain’t going nowhere, son.” He decided a career in music really was for him, stuck at it, and lovers of sequin jumpsuits and quiffed hair rejoiced.
“John F. Kennedy lost a close run election for class president in his freshman year at Harvard but stayed with it and made do with president of the United States. In fact, if people did give up after one attempt at a career, Americans would have fewer former presidents to remember, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln all ran for public office early in their careers without success.
“But that would be the least of Americans’ worries, as the same defeatist attitude would have left them without the famous Dr Seuss books, which were originally rejected by 27 publishing houses.”1
In 1838, a phrase was first seen in print in the Sailor’s Magazine. “If at first you don’t succeed, go on and try again.” In 1845, poet and humorist Thomas Hood gave us the more common form of the saying in his poem The Irish Schoolmaster. He wrote, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Today is National Start Over Day. It reminds us that failures shouldn’t be fatal. Instead, start over. Try again. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t remain defeated.
Christians are no different than anyone else. We often “don’t succeed” in the Christian walk. We fail in sin. Unfortunately, there will always be plenty of other Christians who want the KNOCKED down to STAY down. This is not God’s plan.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The word confess means that we say the same thing about our sin that God says about it. We come into agreement with Him concerning the sin. Within the definition is the idea that we not only call it what it is but we repent and forsake the sin. When we do, God’s cleansing is provided and we find ourselves back in fellowship with Him.
Now, Galatians 6:1 comes into play. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Help them start over. Support them while they get going again.
Someone has rightly observed that the Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded. This indictment is sadly true. We must do better, church. We must!
Today can be a start over day for you. Confess and forsake the sin that caused the failure. Make things as right as possible. Receive the Lord’s forgiveness and get back into the Lord’s work, serving Him. That fresh start is just a prayer away.
One of Job’s alleged friends spoke well concerning Job at the beginning. May we emulate Job’s example found in Job 4:3-4. “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. (4) Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.”
1https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1767250/
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