Now that the 17th High Council has convened, a new General will soon be elected to lead our great Movement. Much has been said about the importance of this occasion and all that will take place. War Crys from around the world, Salvation Army websites and blogs are abuzz with talk of the High Council and the makeup of its current membership. All of this excitement will culminate in the final prayerful election by the High Council members; a man or woman's name will be announced and he or she will become the General-Elect. After a few months, this General-Elect will be fully installed as leader of the international Salvation Army.

But right now, let's pause from the excitement of the times and turn our thoughts to those whose names that will not be called. When the final votes are tallied, only one person will become General. The other half-dozen candidates who were nominated by their peers and yet failed to win that ultimate nod of approval will undoubtedly experience a deflation of sorts as someone else's name is called out in that hallowed chamber room of Sunbury Court. Now of course they did not fail at anything, and they have no reason to feel bad. These are, after all, some of the most talented men and women in the officer ranks of The Salvation Army. And yet, human nature being what it is, we know that those top candidates―even though they'll proudly stand behind their newly elected General―may in the end feel some disappointment.

We all experience disappointment in our lives. How many job interviews did we sit through only to hear the interviewer say, “We'll call you if there's any interest.” Maybe we've tried to better ourselves by taking courses and upgrades only to watch a co-worker be offered a promotion who didn't even ask for it in the first place. Even within the Church we can feel the letdown of not being picked by the corps officer to attend a special conference. Perhaps you know soldiers that have applied for a job with The Army, only to be turned down because they were not qualified. Chances are, they didn't feel too good about the situation and may have even contemplated leaving the Church.

When we fail, our egos take a bruising. The well-turned phrase, “Failure is not an option” is often touted as a universal maxim in our success-obsessed culture. I would say instead, “Failure is not an option, but it is often a reality.” Not as catchy perhaps, but true nonetheless. Failure can actually be quite a positive thing. We learn more by failing than we do by succeeding. It was Thomas Edison's many thousands of unsuccessful prototypes that caused him to eventually invent the light bulb―an invention you're no doubt using to read this article. We also learn more about ourselves when we fail than when we succeed. Think of it, when do you really do your best soul searching? It's not during a success or a victory; elation doesn't lend itself to introspection. It is in the aftermath of a defeat or a personal letdown when we turn into our hearts, through God, and see ourselves in a more authentic light.

We should always dream big and pursue our passions. We must never let the threat of failure hold us back. But when we do experience it, let's not think of it as an enemy, but as a friend―a friend that grounds us in humility and allows us to see ourselves in God's greater plans. “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

Do not let your success, however great, or your failures, however many, define who you are. You are a child of God. And that is enough.

Lieutenant Robert Jeffery is the corps officer of Spryfield Community Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Married to Hannah, they have two children.

Comment

On Friday, January 28, 2011, Shirley Jeffery said:

I often told my elementary school students that they were
like little packages comprised of all the experiences that they had
ever gone through. Some of those experiences were good, some not so
much, but none of them going to waste. We could classify some as
successes, others seemingly failures, but both contributing to
making the little person sitting in front of me. The same is true
of big people, even the candidates for General of the Salvation
Army. I believe that out of the nine candidates, one of them has
the right combimation of successes and failures to give him/her
insight into how best to lead our great Army, at such a time as
this. May we prayerfully support the High Council as they, in turn
prayerfully seek God's guidance in choosing the 19th General of the
Salvation Army.

On Wednesday, January 26, 2011, Fred Jeffery said:

It's hard to share the excitement of the High Council when so many Salvationists have to content with issues of employment, relationship and health. Sometimes I think we allow ourselves to live in a dream world of the glories of being a general. They have so much support and all the perks while everyday salvationists have to struggle for evertything they get.Is too much attention being focussed on who our next leader will be when the chances of most of us ever getting to see him or her are very slim? How do any of these people at Sunbury Court affect our daily lives as a church or as an individual congregation member? It's hard to even get your Corps officers to reach out and care for those whom Jesus died let alone be impacted by the general of the salvation Army. Nevertheless, there are some true servants of the Lord trying to impact on souls for Christ. It's not always about the officers.I believe we really need a worldwide Salvation Army revival but I don't know who really is listening.

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