The Willingness to Fail
Had a meeting this morning with Gary Haugen, Founder and President of the International Justice Mission. What a guy and what an organization! I've admired IJM from a distance for quite some time so it was cool to make a personal connection with Gary. I also know that quite a few NCCers have worked for IJM over the years. If you haven't read Gary's book, Good News about Injustice, you need to get a copy.
I love hearing the creation story of organizations so I asked Gary about the genesis of IJM. Gary was working at the Department of Justice where he was exposed to high doses of injustice and he felt like he needed to do something about it so he started IJM. He said he had no idea it would become what it is. In fact, he told me he had to picture the endeavor failing and going home to live with his parents and be ok with that. I found that fascinating. And it resonated with me. Gary said he had to come to terms with the potential downside: personal humiliation. I honestly think the willingness to fail is at the heart of faith. Faith is the willingness to look foolish. A decade later IJM is having a huge impact leading the fight against injustice, especially human trafficking, all around the world.
One footnote. I was part of the staff prayer time today and you can tell alot about people by their prayer requests. I was so impressed with how mission-focused and cause-oriented they are. Honestly, I think they are more missional than most churches. I walked away challenged and inspired!
I love hearing the creation story of organizations so I asked Gary about the genesis of IJM. Gary was working at the Department of Justice where he was exposed to high doses of injustice and he felt like he needed to do something about it so he started IJM. He said he had no idea it would become what it is. In fact, he told me he had to picture the endeavor failing and going home to live with his parents and be ok with that. I found that fascinating. And it resonated with me. Gary said he had to come to terms with the potential downside: personal humiliation. I honestly think the willingness to fail is at the heart of faith. Faith is the willingness to look foolish. A decade later IJM is having a huge impact leading the fight against injustice, especially human trafficking, all around the world.
One footnote. I was part of the staff prayer time today and you can tell alot about people by their prayer requests. I was so impressed with how mission-focused and cause-oriented they are. Honestly, I think they are more missional than most churches. I walked away challenged and inspired!
3 Comments:
That is one of the hardest things for me. Its easy for me to build up others which is awesome and very important but I recently realized it is very hard for me to be humble enough to offer what I have for God to use when I feel like it isn't enough to be successful. I try to think about the kid who offered his 5 loaves and 2 fish. He risked failure and ridicule to offer what little he had and Jesus used it beyond anyones imagination.
Jamie that just really spoke to me. No matter how little we have to offer Him, He will multiply it beyond our dreams. Something so simple and yet so powerful. Another way to look at the five loaves, two fish story!
That's so good: Faith is the willingness to fail. What would our faith be like if we allowed the fear of failure to dictate what we do? Mine would be dead for sure! But what freedom it is to get to the point where failure/success weigh nothing in comparison to obeying God!! It is in those moments, when I recognize the risk (if you can even call it that) and choose to move anyway, when I feel most alive. Thanks for your post. A great challenge!
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