Failure as a Redemptive Liturgy

A new survey of nearly 1,000 Business leaders from across the country indicates that the so-called “Generation Z” workers, who recently graduated from college, are a challenge to work with and difficult to manage (Intelligent.com, 2024).

The results of the survey show that 75% of the leaders polled said many of these workers had to be fired (Bardolf, 2024). In a follow-up article to this survey (Zilber, 2024), the author wrote that companies are firing these “Gen Z” workers – people born between 1996 and 2010 – because of concerns about their work ethic, communication skills, and readiness to do the job (Zilber, 2024).

This survey, ironically, was conducted by an online education magazine called Intelligent.com. It’s ironic because magazines and online tools such as Intelligent.com promote different college opportunities and provide content to help students obtain – what they say on their website – are paths to the jobs of tomorrow. So a source dedicated to helping students find success through college and beyond is reporting that this generation of students are difficult to work with and that one in six managers are hesitant to hire them (Intelligent.com, 2024). How encouraging is that… or is it meant to be a reality check?

My focus here is not the lack of job preparation of those in Gen Z. I know how they work, because I work with them every day. Hopefully the ones who Regent University are outfitting for the workplace are doing exceptionally well, as we apply our own work experiences in preparing them for their future.

My focus here is on the great opportunity presented by the loss of a job or other types of failure. If observed for what it is, this is a great opportunity for a redemptive liturgy of sorts. Failure and loss based on our own poor decisions or a lack of effort can either frustrate us, causing us to be angry with God, or draw us into a place of quiet contemplation before the Throne of the Most High. It all depends on who we think we are – and what we actually believe about failure and about God’s sovereignty.

God has absolute authority over all things, and nothing in the universe occurs without His permission (GotQuestions, n.d.). But He also allows His creation to freely choose actions that could benefit them or hurt them. God’s sovereignty over all things does not negate human freedom and responsibility (Frame, n.d.). Ultimately, He will accomplish His purposes and will use men if we will submit to His authority.

When David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29, he acknowledged God‘s greatness and power, His glory, and ultimate victory over everything (1 Chronicles 29:11, NASB). According to the prophet Isaiah, “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity. I am the Lord, who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:6b-7, ESV). Before they were born, the Spirit prophesized to Rebekah that with her twin sons, “(T)he older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). Years later, younger Jacob would connive older Esau out of his birthright for some lentil soup (Genesis 25:30-34).

In Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul acknowledged that God “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (v. 28). The context appears to favor the interpretation of God’s efforts to conform us into the image of His Son Jesus (v. 29). Nevertheless, the reason things happen in our lives is either because God sent it or God allowed it (Doherty, 2016) – all for the purpose of drawing us into an eternal relationship with Him.

I’m going to suggest that all the talk about recovering from failure and the moral benefits of it is just that – talk. After failure, we are told to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, to keep a stiff upper lip, and to get back up on our horse (Grammarist, n.d.). In many cases people can do that, but no real moral lesson is learned because it’s all about me and my resilience. In some cases, people would like to do this, but they are unable to move forward without counseling (University of Melbourne, 2024). Neither extreme is of any greater benefit, unless there is a reconciliation with one’s ultimate purpose and an understanding that nothing we accomplish here is about us, since we were never in full control.

Failure is a great antidote for arrogance and hubris; if we’re willing to take our medicine. Just ask Pete Rose – wait, we can’t ask him anymore. One of the greatest baseball players of his era would not make it to the Hall of Fame because he was not willing to repent and accept the results of bad actions. He kept making excuses instead of accepting his behavior for what it was (Passan, 2024).

After an experience of eating grass for seven years because of his arrogance, King Nebuchadnezzar raised his eyes toward heaven and praised God; acknowledging His sovereignty (Daniel 4:34). Nebuchadnezzar had it right when he repented of his arrogance and declared that it is the sovereign Lord “who does according to His will among the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth. No one can fend off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:35).

And that is really how we should respond to failure. Failure is a deeply revealing experience if we’re willing to repent, reflect, and learn the lessons from it. It was failure that caused Joshua and the armies of Israel to lose the battle for Ai (see Joshua 7). Joshua, the great leader who followed Moses, sought to question the Lord about whether or not His promises were true. This allowed God to reveal to Joshua that there was sin in the camp that needed to be addressed.

It was failure and loss that humbled the heart of King David when he took advantage of a young woman whose husband was in battle. Not only did the prophet Nathan call him out; but David and Bathsheba lost the child from their rendezvous (see 2 Samuel 12). This brought David to a place of deep reflection and humble submission to will of God (see Psalm 51). And that’s a great place for any of us. My favorite part of this story is the aftermath of the repentance: Their second child would go on to become the greatest king in Israel’s history: Solomon.

Therefore, while our actions may lead us to some level of failure and loss on the surface, it is God who is working His perfect plan in our lives and who seeks to be glorified in our response. That’s how failure becomes a redemptive liturgy. We come before the sovereign God of the universe, humbling ourselves and seeking his direction and repenting for our sin – even if we were the ones seemingly wronged. The gift of failure is an opportunity for us to reassess everything, especially why we are here and who is really in control.

This time of firing and reality checks is actually a great benefit for the Gen Z workers, although it probably doesn’t seem to be at the time. They have the opportunity to experience something by which they can learn some great spiritual lessons.

Church services may give us food for thought, and cause us to whistle worship tunes while reflecting on the pastor‘s preaching style. Meanwhile, the uncomfortable process of failure brings us humbly into the presence of God if our hearts are truly seeking His will and His ways for our lives.

If we want to know the meaning behind loss and if we missed something God was clearly showing us, failure is a perfect bridge to redemptive worship and the glorification of Our Sovereign King.

Sources:

Bardolf, D. (2024, September 14). ‘Snowflakeism’ Gen Z hires are easily offended, and not ready for workplace: business leaders. NY Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2024/09/14/us-news/gen-z-hires-are-easily-offended-and-not-ready-for-workplace-business-leaders/.
 

Doherty, S. (2016). Principle 2 – God is sovereign and in control of everyone and everything! Child Evangelism Fellowship: Ireland [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.cefireland.com/featured-articles/principle-2-god-is-sovereign-and-in-control-of-everyone-and-everything/.

Frame, J.M. (n.d.). Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom. The Gospel Coalition [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/divine-sovereignty-human-freedom/.

GotQuestions.org (n.d.). What does it mean that God is sovereign? Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/God-is-sovereign.html.

Grammarist (n.d.). Get Back on The Horse. Grammarist [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://grammarist.com/idiom/get-back-on-the-horse/.

Intelligent.com (2024, September 13). 1 in 6 Companies Are Hesitant To Hire Recent College Graduates. Intelligent.com [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.intelligent.com/1-in-6-companies-are-hesitant-to-hire-recent-college-graduates/.

Passan, J. (2024, October 1). Pete Rose has only himself to blame for tarnished MLB legacy. ESPN:MLB [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41539984/mlb-pete-rose-dies-83-legacy-hall-fame-life-ban.

University of Melbourne (2024). Coping with Failure. University of Melbourne: Counseling and Psychological Services [Web Blog]. Retrieved from https://services.unimelb.edu.au/counsel/resources/study-related-issues/coping-with-failure.

Zilber, A. (2024, September 24). Here’s why companies are rapidly firing Gen Z employees. NY Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2024/09/24/business/heres-why-companies-are-rapidly-firing-gen-z-employees/.

Joseph J. Bucci has served as a pastor, author, HR director, director of training, professor and consultant. He teaches in the College of Arts and Sciences at Regent University in Virginia Beach. His latest book, Redemption Inc., is available from your favorite online bookseller. Contact Dr. Bucci at jbucci@regent.edu.