Joshua
1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with
you wherever you go.”
I love
this verse. Not only does it encourage me to be strong and courageous
but it also illuminates two of the biggest factors of falling short
in these areas: fear and failure. The last blog explored the idea of
fear; this post will touch on the concept of discouragement and
failure.
Let me
illustrate by sharing an example from baseball that I think portrays
this barrier. Close your eyes and travel with me almost 100 years
ago. First, to the year 1915 and one of the greatest baseball players
to ever lace up some spikes, Ty Cobb. He was born in Narrows, Georgia
in December 1886 and was called the Georgia Peach for much of his
career. He played 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and was inducted
in the inaugural group of Hall of Famers in 1936. He was credited
with setting 90 Major League Baseball records including the highest
career batting average (.366), season batting titles (11), most
career hits (4,189 – not broken until 1985), most career stolen
bases (892 – broken in 1977) and the record for the most stolen
bases in a single season (96 – first broken in 1962 by Maury Wills
with 104). It is this last record that intrigues me. Ninety-six
stolen bases in one season is quite a feat.
Keeping
that in mind, zoom ahead a few years to 1922. Max Carey was playing
for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Carey was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in
January 1890. His 20-year career as an outfielder, his membership
with the 1925 World Series Champion Pirates, and his reputation as a
speedster who regularly stole 40 bases a season earned him a spot in
the Hall of Fame in 1961.
In those
early days of baseball Ty Cobb set the record of 96 stolen bases in a
season. Max Carey was second with 51. Ty Cobb looks twice as good as
Max. But let's look a little deeper. Cobb attempted to steal 134
times and was successful on 96 attempts for an incredible average of
71%. Carey, on the other hand, made 53 attempts to steal a base and
slid to safely 51 times for a head-shaking 96% average. Cobb failed
58 times to Carey's 2. Cobb attempted to steal 81 more times than
Carey. But the key to Cobb's legacy is that those 81 additional
attempts produced 44 more stolen bases. Cobb risked failure 81 more
times than his closest rival and history has declared him as one of
the greatest base runners of all times.
Do not
be discouraged – learn to conquer the failure factor. Don't stop
trying if you experience difficulties. Perseverance, diligence, and
persistence enabled Cobb to overcome the failure factor.
One more
quick baseball example of rising above the failure factor. The same
era of history brought onto the stage the greatest hitter of the
early 1900s (and maybe of all times) the Sultan of Swat, the Great
Bambino – Babe Ruth. He ended his career with a staggering 714 home
runs – a record that stood until 1974. In 1920, Ruth's first year
with the New York Yankees, he hit 54 home runs, the next year he
smacked 59 homers and in 1927 he outdid himself propelling the ball
over the fence 60 times in one season.
However,
Babe Ruth also held another record for decades – the record for
strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs but he struck out 1,330 times. It
never seemed to bother him when he was in a batting slump – he kept
swinging the bat. His philosophy was summed up in the following
statement attributed to him, “I realize that the law of averages
will catch up if I just keep swinging. In fact, when I'm in a slump,
I feel sorry for the pitcher because I know that sooner or later he's
going to pay for it.” Never give up, do not be discouraged.
Failing
is a part of leadership. Learning from failing is the cure to
failure. Failure is giving up – not getting up. When we blow it, if
we get up, dust off the dirt of the unsuccessful slide, learn from
the mistake, and change our perspective, failing can result in
improved strategy, greater wisdom in decision making, and renewed
courage to try again. I imagine that these great baseball players of
the past gained their confidence from within, a self confidence that
relied upon their own skills. Joshua's secret is the complete
opposite – “do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be
with you wherever you go.”
If you
find yourself discouraged today, pick up the bat and come to the
plate. God has called his leaders to be strong and courageous. Do not
be terrified (the fear factor); do not be discouraged (the failure
factor) because God is with those whom He has called.
