Pain Before Success!

        In August 1978, the first successful transatlantic balloon flight became a reality when Double Eagle II touched ground in a barley field in the small village of Miserey, France.  But success in this accomplishment did not come easy.  During the years from 1873 through 1978, thirteen attempts had been made---all ending in failure.  After an unsuccessful attempt in 1977, in which Double Eagle ended up in Iceland, Double Eagle II was successful in making that historic six-day trip from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France. 
        What made the difference between the unsuccessful trip and the successful one?  One difference was the addition of another man.  A second difference was experience.  Maxie Anderson, one of the crew, put it this way: “I don’t think that you can fly the Atlantic without experience, and that’s one reason it hadn’t been flown before.  Success in any venture is just the intelligent application of failure.”  Did you catch that?  Success is just intelligent application of failure. 
        Booker T. Washington said, “A measure of a man’s success is not what he achieves, but what he overcomes.”  Success requires resilience.  Many times a successful ball team is one that has bounced back from having a bad season or experiencing several losses.  They learn from their mistakes how to improve their game.  Life has it way of giving us losses and missed shots so for that reason we must learn from our errors.  And the person who can do this will overcome his losses with success. 
        Lorne Sanny, when he was the president of the Navigators, had the following to say, “If you are suffering without succeeding, then someone will succeed after you…If you are succeeding without suffering, then someone suffered before you.”  We are like a tea bag: not much good until it has gone through hot water. 
Even Jesus, “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).  Of course, He did this for our sakes. 
        If you want to determine whether or not an air tank of the kind divers need is usable, you test it.  Of course you do not test it when it is empty.  No, you test it by applying pressure to it.  And the pressure used in such a test is far beyond what would be considered normal.  Only under intense pressure can hidden flaws be exposed.  And under the pressures of life we are tested severely to see if we will break or hold. 
        Success, many times, will test our integrity.  Praise detects pride or humility.  Wealth tests the flaw of selfishness.  Education tests our pride.  Hearing the Word of God tests our faith.  Failure tests our resilience. 
        A cliché’ says it well: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”  Even Christ had to experience humility before victory.  He had to experience death before resurrection.  His Lordship came after He suffered much pain and agony.  Our success comes when we understand that we have to do our part in it.  For more info and service times you can visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.