Every leader eventually faces a moment when they have blown it. Sometimes the failure is moral. Sometimes it’s relational — a breakdown with those you lead or those who lead you. Sometimes it’s spiritual — a moment when your actions disappoint the God you serve.
Whatever the nature of the failure, the real question is not if you fail but what happens next. Moses’ story gives us a powerful window into how God views failure and how leaders should respond when they fall short. After examining Moses’ moment of failure and its consequences, we’ll consider three guidelines for handling your own moments of failure.
Moses’ Moment of Failure
Moses’ worst failure came during yet another episode of Israel’s complaining. Their frustration was understandable — they were thirsty, and the amount of water needed for the people and their animals was enormous.
God instructed Moses to speak to the rock. If he obeyed, water would flow and the people’s needs would be met.
But Moses acted in anger. Instead of speaking to the rock, he lashed out verbally at the people and struck it. Numbers records the moment:
Numbers 20:10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Numbers 20:12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” 13 These were the waters of Meribah,[a] where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.
Deuteronomy 3:23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? 25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”
Why God Took Moses’ Failure So Seriously
These passages reveal that God viewed Moses’ failure as a serious breach of trust. Moses directly disobeyed God’s command. God told him to speak; Moses struck. God told him to honor Him as holy; Moses allowed frustration to govern his response.
We often minimize our own angry outbursts, but Moses’ moment shows how costly a single act of disobedience can be. Moses forfeited the privilege of leading Israel into the promised land. God allowed him to see the land, but not enter it.
Our failures, likewise, carry weight. They bring consequences for us and for those we influence.
So how should leaders handle failure?
Four Lessons for Handling Failure
1. Expect Failure — It’s Part of Growth
History is full of people who failed before they succeeded:
- Beethoven’s teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
- Enrico Caruso’s teacher said he had no voice at all.
- Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.
- Albert Einstein was labeled mentally slow and expelled from school.
- Isaac Newton struggled in grade school.
- Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college.
- Henry Ford went broke five times.
- Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times — but he also hit 714 home runs.
Failure is not a sign that you’re finished. It’s often the first step toward growth.
2. Failure Isn’t Fatal
Rick Warren wisely observed, “Because we value success so much, we tend to exaggerate the effects of failure. But failure isn’t the end of the world. You won’t die from it. With failure – you fail, you pick yourself up, and you go on.”
People rarely succeed on their first attempt. Get up. Try again.
3. Failure Can Become a Teacher
Wise leaders learn from failure. They grow from it. They use it as a stepping‑stone rather than a stumbling block.
Failure can refine your character, deepen your humility, and strengthen your leadership.
4. Accept God’s Grace and Move Forward
Psalm 103:14 reminds us that God knows exactly who we are:
“God knows what we’re made of. He remembers that we are dust.”
He knows your frailty. He doesn’t expect perfection. And He certainly doesn’t stop loving you when you fail.
Grace is God’s invitation to get up and keep going.
Failure Is Normal — But It Isn’t Final
Two voices from the world of sports capture this truth well:
Bill Walsh, legendary football coach: “I’ve observed that if individuals who prevail in a high competitive environment have any one thing in common besides success, it is failure — and their ability to overcome it.”
Michael Jordan: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
