Epic Fail!

The Epic Fail!  It’s become a popular phrase amongst today’s youth, popularized by Katie Perry and other Pop Icons.  The following is from the Urban Dictionary:

Epic- Anything great, spectacular, or large/monumental in nature

Fail- An inability to complete an objective, task or job either assigned or volunteered for.

Epic Fail -A mistake of such monumental proportions that it requires its own term in order to successfully point out the unfathomable shortcomings of an individual or group.

I’m writing this post today to say that failure IS an option.   While reading a book called, “Sifted” I came across a quote by President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.  Not my favorite President for various reasons but nonetheless I found great wisdom in the following quote:

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Epic Fail! 

General Washington lost many battles throughout the revolution. Epic Fail!

Thomas Edison had many inventions/ideas that did not pan out.  Epic Fail!

Jonah ignored God, a storm threatened to capsize his vessel and all onboard.  He was thrown overboard and swallowed by a giant fish.  Epic Fail!

Failure is often the crucible that forges greatness!  We learn much from our own mistakes and can become better for it.  But more importantly than lessons learned is the mere fact that we truly live by playing the game! 

If we don’t take risks we will never know the joy of success.  We will live a mediocre, bland existence.  God does not want this for our lives.  He wants us to trust in him and push ourselves over our physical, human limits and into the realm of spiritual greatness. 

Think of it this way; if you died today, or years from now looking back at your life, will you do it wondering what could have been?  Wishing you could have done more?  Did your life have purpose?  Did you take risks knowing that it may indeed result in an Epic Fail…or were you afraid to fail?  Did you play it safe, living in the realm of human capabilities or did you risk it and allow Christ to take you far beyond? 

In all honesty I will have my regrets at the end of my life, I think anybody who is being truly honest will.  We can’t live everyday and every moment perfectly.  We don’t have infinite knowledge from the time we are born…..we learn as we go… we learn by living.  I need frequent reminders to live fully.  Today I hope you fail, so that tomorrow you can succeed.  Today I hope you know what it feels like to live!  A life checkered with Epic Fails, will simply be looked back on as being EPIC!