THE VALUE OF FALIURE
April 7, 2021
THE VALUE OF FALIURE
I have repeated classes twice in my life, yet I still graduated with a Ph.D. at the age of 26!
Let me show you how.
See, the first time I repeated a class was in my third year of high school.
I failed woefully and while some of my teachers advised my parents to allow me to proceed to the next class, in a way to save me from embarrassment, my parents refused.
Thank God they did! I didn't understand it at the time but it saved me from arrogance and overconfidence.
I repeated the class (the whole year) and passed excellently the following year.
The second time was my early days at the University.
I enrolled for the foundational (Pre-Degree) year of University and sat the entrance examination.
While I passed, I was not admitted due to some systemic inefficiencies and corruption.
I had to repeat the whole year. The following year I made it!
Why am I sharing this with you?
Failure has value! The value of failure is to learn from it.
My first repeat taught me that I was overvaluing myself and if I did not study, I would keep failing.
Study, I did! Failure provided me with the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
My second failure taught me that life is not always fair but I can't let that affect me. I've gotta keep pushing.
It taught me perseverance. It taught me resilience.
In the face of failure, embarrassment, and corruption, I didn't back down!
I saw my setback as a setup for my comeback.
Guess what today? You cannot trace those failures in my life.
I ended up finishing my studies way ahead of the ones that appeared to have overtaken me.
Listen, failure has value. Learn from it. Quit the crying. There is a whole lot ahead of you.
I believe in you.
- Dr. Samuel Ekundayo | The Purpose Preacher
Looking at my life today, some might assume I was born with a golden spoon in my mouth. They see the progress, the platforms, the opportunities, the impact—and they conclude, “He must have had it all figured out from the start.” But here’s the truth... I wasn’t born with a golden spoon. In fact, I wasn’t even born with a spoon at all. The circumstances surrounding my birth were far from rosy. My beginning was rough, humble, and almost forgettable by the standards of this world. There was nothing to suggest that I would one day stand where I stand today, speak as I speak today, or do what I do today. But I was helped. I was helped by God. That’s the only reason I’ve come this far. And that, dear friend, is why I’m writing this—to remind you that it doesn’t matter where or how you were born . Your background, no matter how limiting or disadvantaged, cannot stop God’s plan for your life. You may not have had the best education. You may have been born into poverty. You may have been rejected, neglected, abandoned or overlooked. But when God steps into your life , He rewrites the story. He is not intimidated by your limitations. In fact, He specializes in using the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He lifts the poor from the dust and sets them among princes (Psalm 113:7-8). You don’t need a silver spoon, golden spoon, or any spoon at all. All you need is His help . My life is a testament to this truth: God still helps men. He still lifts. He still promotes. He still turns nobodies into wonders. And I believe the same will happen for you. If you will let Him, If you will trust Him, If you will surrender your life to Him… You will become a miracle. You will become a wonder. Your story will be one that generations will talk about. So here’s my charge to you: Stop disqualifying yourself based on your background. Stop underestimating what God can do through you. Stop comparing your journey with someone else’s. Instead, start seeking God’s help. Start walking in faith. Start declaring His promises over your life. Because your story—yes, YOUR story—is not over yet. In fact, it’s just beginning. You are next in line for a miracle. I believe in you!
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