The Gift Of Teaching Series

Ray Ashford, the Canadian preacher and author, tells of his good friend who invested all his

money in a grocery business in a large city in Canada. It was a thriving business he was told, but

soon it was in trouble. He contracted scarlet fever and while he was in the hospital the business

collapsed and he lost everything. It was the low point of his life. He began to dream about what

he always wanted to be, which was a teacher. It seemed like a foolish idea to all who knew him,

but he was captivated by the idea. So much so that when he got out of the hospital he went back to

finish high school. Then he went on the university and finally to teachers college. He was close to

30 when he finished, but he was an excellent teacher.

He became a leading teacher in one of the largest school systems of Canada. Whenever he

talks about the strange twists of his career he says, "What a good thing it was that I failed as a

grocer! At the time, of course, I was absolutely devastated. But I see now that if it hadn't been for

that failure, I would likely have spent my life muddling along in a business for which I am not

equipped at all."

Here is a man who ended up doing his own thing in life-the thing he was best equipped for

because of the blessing of failure where he did not fit. This happened to a very famous man that

all of you know. George had a troubled youth and had no direction, but then some Hollywood

directors discovered him and were convinced that under all his toughness there was a making of a

star. They were right, but they went the wrong road to bring it out. They made him a star in a

film, and they were so confident it would make money that they gave George a check for $25,000.

He was so proud of it that he did not cash it. He carried it around showing everyone. It was not a

wise move, for the film was a total flop and the producers went bankrupt. The check bounced

when he finally did take it to the bank. George had an ego as deflated as his bank account. He

was one of the greatest failures of all time as an actor, but he didn't give up. He found his niche in

life elsewhere, and he became a star after all. We know him as Babe, or George Babe Ruth.

Numerous are the stories that reveal failure to be one of the steps on the road to success. It is

failure that helps us learn not to waste our lives trying to do what we are not fit to do. A pastor

learned that a call to preach did not include the talent of barbering. He cut his little boys hair so

that he looked as if he had been to a butcher. The boy was so ashamed to be seen in public that he

pulled his cap over his head with the ear flaps pulled down. He went to a real barber down the

street. It was quite a job to undo a haircut, but at least he came out looking presentable. That

night the boy ended his prayer so that dad could hear: "And, dear Lord, please help every man to

stick to his own trade."

Unfortunately, not everyone fails at what they are poorly equipped to do. They either succeed,

or do an adequate job of it, and so they stick with it and never discover their potential for some

other field. What is true for secular life is also true for the body life of the church. We should not

fear failure as Christians, for the fear of failure keeps us from experiments that would help us

discover our gifts. The church should be a group which is constantly striving to help each member

to find the role they play best. Every Christian should have opportunity to experiment with a

variety of roles because a gift can go undetected if it is never put to use.

Back in 1968 there was a Billy Graham day in Charlotte, North Carolina. Billy's younger

brother Melvin was given the privilege of saying a few words. He told the story of the farmer who

had seen the letters P and C in the sky, and being a dedicated Christian he figured it meant preach

Christ. So he left his farm and started preaching. After many fruitless months he decided he must

have misinterpreted the letters. They probably meant plant corn, and so he went back to the farm.

Melvin said, "I don't want to make that same mistake here, so I'll let Billy spread the Gospel, and