Without failure, who would you be?

   Allow me to pass along a powerful word that I heard earlier this week. The value of the lesson extends far beyond the football field. Nick Foles, who nearly quit football 18 months ago, began this season as a forgotten back-up on a team most considered to be a long-shot this year. He shared this after his Philadelphia Eagles beat the Patriots and he was named the game's MVP:

"I think the big thing is don’t be afraid to fail. In our society today, Instagram and Twitter is a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. When you look at it, you’re like ‘Wow’ when you’ve had a rough day and thinking your life is not as good as that. Failure is a part of life. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousands of times and made mistakes. We all are human. We all have weaknesses, and I think being able to share this and be transparent — I know when people speak and share their weaknesses, I’m listening, because I can resonate. So, I’m not perfect. I might be in the NFL and we may have just won the Super Bowl, but I still have daily struggles. That’s where my faith comes in and that’s where my family comes in. And I think when you have a struggle in your life, just know that’s just an opportunity for your character to grow.”

   It has been widely shared that Foles is a student in a Christian college and intends to become a minister with students when he finishes his career. I can see why! The depth of his understanding of how God uses the struggles of our journey to bring about the holy-making work of sanctification is beautiful. Lisa Klug shared how she finds this very truth in James 1:2-6:

My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.

   May God be glorified in the words he shared and may we all take them to heart. Grace and peace, Scott