But me, I’m not giving up. I’m sticking around to see what God will do. I’m waiting for God to make things right. I’m counting on God to listen to me.
(Micah 7:7, MSG)
This decade started with a pandemic that swept away many souls. There is economic turmoil; high gas prices, record inflation, etc that is sweeping away many resources. There is also war and a constant threat of a World War. Yet in these times, we can say that we’re not giving up. We are sticking around to see what God will do. We’re waiting for God to make things right. We are counting on God to listen to us. Better Day Ahead.
Winning is a good thing because it makes us happy and urges us to keep moving on. The serenity that comes with it is an awesome experience (like lullaby) that put your body, soul and spirit to sleep. I love to WIN, after all nobody starts a journey with a goal of losing.
The other side is Failure. Nobody wants to fail, not even the team at the bottom of the league table. However, our teachers spent more time teaching us how to react to success than to failure or set back. Failures were associated with shame, pains, and (in my primary school) some strokes of at the back. Parents easily shame their kids for failing. Friends laugh at colleagues, etc. Culturally, it hurts to Fail so people who fail give up easily.
The reality is that Success and Failure are part of the journey. The Bible calls certain periods “troubled times”, or “time of disaster”. It chance upon us all. Those are times we experience failures, setbacks, disappointments, rejections, not finding our foots, etc. They come not to destroy us but build our resilience for God and our trust in His word. If we were properly trained to deal with failures and disappointments at the early stages of our lives, these times would not catch us by surprise.
Maybe your orientation about dealing with Failure wasn’t the best, the scripture provides some assurance for you as a child of God. In Proverbs 24:26, the scripture says that For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse. In effect, Failure doesn’t stop you. You keep pressing on till you Win the race. God has promised to be with His children through the waters and fire. In the wilderness, He has promised to lead us and provide water to quench our thirst. His word would guide us to Succeed in the end if only we don’t give up.
You are a poor specimen if you can’t stand the pressure of adversity
(Proverbs 24:10, TLB)
Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy, for though I fall, I will rise again! When I sit in darkness, the Lord himself will be my Light.
(Micah 7:8, TLB)
The world we live in is experiencing a time of disaster and many homes are hit. It’s possible your plans for the year are thrown into disarray. You look at the clock and start to think IT’S OVER. People you know may appear to be on track but know that this your “night period” may be their “day period” or they are resiliently optimistic and pushing through their “night period”. Be encouraged to pick yourself up and Start Again because God isn’t through with you yet.
Everyone wants to win. I get it. I want to win too. I passed every exam from primary school to Master’s Degree. It was fun until I had to resit for ACCA Audit and Assurance paper, not once but passed after fourth attempt.
photo credit: spiritualcleansing.org
Failure isn’t God’s best for us. However, it’s necessary because of the lessons He wants us to Learn. If all we expect is win-win, then we would become vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. Satan is vicious and terrible so Daddy sometimes toughens us up for two reasons:
To help ourselves
To help others who are caught in the trap of Failure
Let’s consider Paul’s statement to Timothy;
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith
(2 Timothy 4:7, KJV)
Two words to consider from Paul’s statement are: Fight and Keep. We Fight, We Keep. Good things don’t come easy. We Fight, We Push through, We Persevere, We Persist, We don’t back down.
And after you have Fought for it, You Keep it. it’s easy to lose things you don’t fight for. But when you remember what you went through to Achieve your successes, you are determine to protect, defend, or guard whatever it might be.
Sometimes that’s what Failure does. In my case, I thought passing exam was an easy thing to do. Just sit, study, and pass. I always relied on Self and my own strategies. I thought of myself as the smart guy until Failure set in. I believe God allowed Failure to reshape my perception, and to realize that It was the Power, Mercy, and Grace of God that made me successful in previous exams. I learnt my lessons and Fought through. I didn’t SETTLE.
photo credit: enkiquotes.com
Lessons from my Failure:
Failure is a point of reflection:
It’s time to reflect on what went wrong and to seek God’s guidance
When Joshua failed against Ai, he went to seek answers from God
It’s also time to assess the methodology. It could be flawed
God uses Failure to shift our focus back to Him:
It easy to think that our strength, connections, or resources made us successful
Depending on self could be fatal because if satan strikes against your health (strength), what would be left of you?
When you head on that direction, God permits failure to get you back to trusting Him
It makes us strong for the battle:
God never promised an easy journey. He only said that He would be with us
Every failure teaches you one more way of doing things right
It teaches you to realise that “Everything worthwhile in life is uphill” as said by John Maxwell
It becomes your message to encourage others who fail:
People are failing everyday and they need help
I remember friends who called me to talk about failing their Professional exam. When I told them about attempting Four times, it was enough encouragement for them to Try Again.
Your failure today could be your message tomorrow, next week, month, or even decades to come.
Your destiny is worth fighting for. Your Faith in God should be Kept. Don’t allow the enemy to shift your stance on God’s word. Always remember that If God permits Failure, then it means there are lessons to learn. Pick yourself up, Learn fast, and Move on. Try Again.
Maybe this year has been though. You’ve checked the calendar and thought It’s Over, It’s too Late, I Can’t. This is Self talking to you. Remember that No one can succeed by strength alone. Get back to God, and like Joshua, He will show you what to do in order to Succeed in your next Attempt. Don’t give up, Try Again.
Uplifting Christ 