By Fr. Glenn Jones:
We all likely know the elation of success, and also the dispiritedness of failure, whether in sports, in intellectual pursuits, business, etc. But might remember Thomas Edison to whom the invention of the light bulb is often attributed, to whom also is attributed the phrase (there are various versions): “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.” We see such determination today in the SpaceX program. Whatever you might think of Elon Musk, it’s hard not to marvel at that program’s success, a venture widely ridiculed in its beginning and disparaged whenever a test does not go perfectly—those “unplanned disassemblies”. And yet the program has progressed far beyond any other, now preparing to launch missions to Mars with the largest rockets ever constructed.
The modern phrase “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” captures a truth which resonates not only in secular pursuits, but also with biblical witness. While that phrase originates in modern statesmanship, it echoes the enduring themes of Scripture: perseverance, humility, repentance, and trust in God’s providence. For the Christian, success and failure are not defined by worldly standards but by conformity to Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith”. (Hebrews 12:2).
As we well know, worldly success can be fleeting; one may be soaring one day, crash and burn the next. Scripture repeatedly testifies that riches, honors, and even good works are temporal and do not secure eternal standing before God. The Psalmist tells us plainly: “Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.” (Psalm 39:6). Success, however noble and thrilling, is not an endpoint but only a moment along the journey toward eternity.
This is why St. Paul, even having established churches throughout the Roman world, could still say: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on.” (Philippians 3:12). In fact, in a rather stark self-confession, he writes: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate … I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do … Wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:15-24) His past success did not grant him license to rest. He knew that the Christian life is one of continual striving—not for self-glory, but for the upward call of God in Christ.
St. Augustine warned similarly: “You have not yet been brought to where you can rest … You must still keep moving forward, for if you stop, your progress ceases.” (Sermon 169). Success is never final, for our earthly labors and victories must be entrusted to the One who alone can bring them to perfection.
As an analogy, think of a mountain climber who reaches a ridgeline. The victory of reaching that point is real, but it is not the summit. To stop there is to miss the goal still ahead. Or a swimmer moving against the current; stop, and he just continues downstream. So too with the Christian life: each “success”, whether in resisting temptation or in acts of charity, is but a stepping stone in the greater ascent toward God.
But just as success is not final, failure is not fatal. The Bible is filled with men and women whose failures were profound, yet whose repentant hearts brought them restoration. King David sinned grievously in the episode of Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11), yet when confronted, he repented deeply and prayed: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). His failure was real, but it was not his end, because God’s mercy, elicited by David’s repentance, proved greater than his failure.
Peter, too, denied Christ three times, even with cursing and oaths (Matthew 26:74). Yet the risen Christ restored him, charging him three times to “feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Peter was not disqualified but renewed, becoming a bold preacher at Pentecost and pillar of the early Church. So failure need not define us, so long as we turn again to Christ. Failure may wound, but it does not destroy when coupled with repentance and divine grace.
One might imagine a potter shaping a vessel. If the clay collapses on the wheel, he does not throw it away but remolds it until it fulfills his design (Jeremiah 18:4). In the same way, God does not discard us when we falter but reshapes us according to His purpose, provided we yield again to His hands.
If success is not ultimate and failure is not terminal, what remains is the courage to continue—the endurance of faith. Scripture places great value on perseverance. Jesus Himself taught that “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). And St. Paul exhorts believers: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9).
Here lies Christian courage—the steady faith that endures trials, setbacks, and triumphs with equal resolve, fixing its eyes on Christ without despair. The courage to continue is not about clinging to one’s own strength but about cleaving to God despite weakness.
A runner in a marathon may stumble, or he may surge ahead, but victory depends on continuing to run. If he abandons the race, either in pride or discouragement, the finish cannot be reached. So too in the life of faith: “… let us run with patient endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). And Paul declares elsewhere: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9). Such an attitude not only frames the Christian life, but is applicable in the worldly life as well.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” This maxim calls us to humility in victories, repentance in defeats, and steadfastness in the journey. Success is never final, for God’s call draws us ever forward. Failure is never fatal, for God’s mercy offers forgiveness and restoration. What matters above all is the courage—the resolve—to continue striving, pressing on to true success and eternal victory.
Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.