Poem: What If I Am Just a Failure?

What If I Am Just a Failure?

by Russell Kelfer

Use the “Play” ► button above to listen to the poem:

What if I am just a failure?
What if all I’ve seemed to do
Is travel on and leave in shambles
What I’ve touched as I’ve passed through?

What if as a parent
Or a mate I’ve seemed to fail?
What if I’ve to crime resorted?
What if I’ve been sent to jail?

What if I have lost a fortune?
Foolish waste has cost it all.
What if every turn I’ve taken
Led me up against a wall?

How can ever in this life
Jesus use a man like me?
How can Jesus use a failure?
What good on Earth could my life be?

Friend, Jesus shops for future leaders
Often in the failure store.
Often those He picks to cherish
Have been tried and failed before.

But through failure’s crushing signals
Oft’ there breathes a dying breath,
And a God of resurrection
Has a life to bring from death.

From the rubbish heap of failure
Sovereign Holiness will choose
Men and women oft’ defeated,
Saying, “Here’s one I can use.”

So it was to be with Moses.
“Lead My people out,” his chore.
Not until he’d failed, could Moses
Grasp the grace God had in store.

So it was with Abraham,
Father of the world to be.
Childless still at 90, then,
And only then could Isaac be.

So it was, as well, with Joseph,
Dad’s beloved, dreamer – fool.
Not ’till he was sold in slavery
Could he really be God’s tool.

That’s the message oft’ repeated
From the Holy Spirit’s pen:
God delights to turn life’s failures
Into His successful men.

What if I am just a failure?
What if all my marks are poor?
You may very well be just
What God is looking for.

DTM Discipleship Tape Ministries
POB 782256, San Antonio, TX 78278
1-800-375-7778 or 210-226-0000
www.dtm.org • dtm@dtm.org • © Russell Kelfer