The truth about failure

 

How do we respond to failure?

What kind of mindset do we adopt after we fail?

How we respond and the kind of mindset we should have when failure comes is so important

if we are going to grow and learn.

There is a train of thought out there that goes along the lines of, failing makes you a failure.

But is that true? Do our failures make us failures?

No it is not true. As long as we live on this earth we will have to deal with failure,

we will make mistakes, but those things do not need to dictate who we are as people or

what we are going to accomplish.

 

One of the most important questions we need to ask is, how does Jesus see us even though we

fail and make mistakes?

For the answer to that question we are going to look at Peter.

As you know he was a disciple of the Lord and loved him much. But one day before Jesus was

to be crucified, Peter was told he would deny the Lord.

Peter obviously denied it and declared his devotion and that he was ready to die with the Lord.

But as we all know Peter denied the Lord. He messed up big time. He failed Jesus and it seemed

like all was lost. How can anyone bounce back from that?

Imagine the headline in the newspapers the next day,

PETER DENIES JESUS!!

 

But let’s focus our attention on an interesting passage of scripture,

 

“Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you,

Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:31

 

Jesus knew Peter would deny Him!

But instead of abandoning him or washing His hands of him, Jesus prayed for him and encouraged him.

Peter’s failure did not change the way Jesus saw him. It did not change the Lord’s plans for his life.

And this is important for us to understand. Even when you fail and make mistakes the Lord is with you.

He hasn’t abandoned or disowned you. Failure doesn’t mean the end of you.

It wasn’t the end of Peter.

 

It seemed like Peter’s story was over when he failed but we all know how powerfully he was used

in the creation of the early church. He was instrumental in the building of it.

And that’s how good the Lord is. Don’t allow your failures and mistakes to stop you in your tracks.

We are to grow and learn from our failures but never to stop and die.

Jesus has amazing things in store for you in the midst of failures. So because you are a son and daughter

of God you are not a failure but a victor and that’s the best news! 

 

On one last note, if you would like to get a copy of my devotional, click here. 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

 

What’s the deal with fear?

I was deep in thought thinking about how I was going to make it.

Wondering how the bills would get paid.

Wondering how my life would turn out in the midst of such opposition.

As I thought on those things fear gripped my heart. I was afraid.

 

But it was at that exact moment that I realized something about fear.

 

Fear was not going to tell me everything would be okay.

 

I should expect no encouragement from fear. It is not an option thinker. All it thinks and

sees is negative. It’s not optimistic.

It will never direct me to God in any situation.

It wants me paralyzed.

It wants me to fail.

It doesn’t want me to see God.

It wants me hopeless and discouraged.

 

Fear chooses to forget God in difficult circumstances.

It can’t love, it can’t trust, it can’t hope.

It focuses on the worst possible outcome in any situation we face when it knows there is a better

outcome in God.

Fear ALWAYS sees the negatives in everything and CHOOSES to ignore the positives.

Or in other words, it chooses to see the dead ends, the failure, the death and refuses to see

light at the end of the tunnel, the hope, the answer!

 

And that is why we can’t listen to fear. As I let fear grip me, all I thought about

were the negatives.

 

But the truth of the matter is that there was another option.

There was a better and more positive outcome if I allowed my faith in God to take the lead instead of fear.

Let me rephrase that, there IS a better and more positive outcome…

 

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), 

but (He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind

and discipline and self-control. 

2 Timothy 1:7

 

As we walk out our faith in God, fear will always try to get in the way. It will try to disrupt the faith

we have put in God. Let us fight against fear no matter how long it takes.

This battle can’t be won in our own strength. We need God’s help to show us the areas we

have allowed fear to dominate us. We need His help to overcome Fear so we can move forward

in what God has for us.

The Lord is with us in this fight and leading the charge!

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

Jars of clay!

I am in awe how God has

made a decision to work with broken vessels!

That’s right, He has made a conscious and deliberate decision

to work with and through us.

He knows we are not perfect, He knows we will fail, He knows

we will mess up, He knows we will rebel and yet He still uses us!

 

It’s amazing to think that God would choose us as flawed as we

are and work with us.

It’s because of Him we are something.

He calls the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

That’s the way He works.

We are nothing on our own. Our lives make sense when God is

added to it. We don’t glory in our strength but in God’s.

 

As you go through your day today I want you to remember that God

has chosen you despite your weaknesses.

You don’t have to perfect to be used by Him.

He created you and knows everything about you.

Lean on His strength and not on yours.

Blessings to you today!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflecting on trust……

 

I have been reflecting on one of my favourite scriptures this week. As I read it

I could not move from it. I just kept reading it over and over. With that said I am starting a new category. It is based on Psalm 119:9 which talks about how we are supposed to conform our lives to the word of God. A lot of the time we try to make the word conform to what we think and the way we live but that is wrong. The word is not supposed to conform to our beliefs. It will NOT conform to us. We are the ones who need to conform to it. We are the ones who are to align to what the word says.

My goal in this new category is to hold up the word of God against our lives and see how we can apply its truth. This is what Psalm 119:9 says,

 

Psalm 119:9 (Amplified) says,

How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking head and keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to it].

 

Let us start. The scripture I was reading that I couldn’t move past is found in Proverbs 3: 5-7 (The Message).

 

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do,

everywhere you go;

He’s the One who will keep you on track.

 

Here are my reflections…..

 

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;” –

 

In the things I am seeking God for, am I trusting Him completely?

This is not a weak undecided trust but a deep confident trust. The word says,

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart”! This kind of trust realises there is

no one else I must depend on. It realises everything else cannot be trusted. This kind of trust realises there is only One it can look to.

 

The question then is, do we trust God from the bottom of our heart? If not, what is stopping us? Is it fear, is it doubt, unbelief, previous failures??? What is it?

God wants us to trust Him from the bottom of our heart. No matter what you are going through, no matter how impossible it seems, He wants you to trust Him from the bottom of your heart!

 

“Don’t try to figure out everything on your own” –

 

We were not made with the capacity to figure out God. He is too big and too awesome. He is TOO MUCH….!!!! His ways are beyond our comprehension. The

more we try to figure Him out the more confused we get. We are TOO SMALL….!!

Don’t miss this please. We are too small!!!!!

Our understanding is too limited to go down that road.

Does that mean we are broken? Did God make us with a defect then? No!

He made us like that so we could learn to look to Him! He wants to be the One

we depend on. There should never be a time where we are enough for the storms we face. ( I hope you understand what I mean here)

Trying to figure everything out in your life by yourself is not trusting God. It is you saying you are enough for this life and you don’t need the Saviour!

 

In your life where have you tried to figure out things by yourself?

What areas in your life have you not allowed God to take the steering wheel?

 

“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He’s the One who will keep you on track” –

 

There is so much I am seeking God for. There is so much clarity I need. There are so many major decisions I need to make concerning my career, relationships, and life in general.

In all those things am I listening for God’s voice to lead me?? Are you?

Am I taking the time to hear what He is saying? Are you?

Do I depend on His voice in every decision I make? Do you?

 

Why is it important to listen for His voice in everything we do?

 

Because He is the One who will keep me on track. He is the One who keeps you on track!!

As I end this post I would like to leave you with this thought – He is the one who keeps us on track! Trust Him, depend on Him, seek Him because,

 

He is the One who keeps us on track!!

 

Rolain

Failure as a Teacher!

Everyone has failed at one time or the other. Failing is painful but it is necessary if we are to grow and mature. Everyone fails and that is a fact but why is failing key to growth? Why should we embrace failure and not run from it when it comes? I believe failure makes you stronger and it sets your bounce back power for other battles. Let me give you a real life example of what I mean.

When I was still trying to get my drivers license I was met with failure after failure. It was hard for me especially when friends of mine were just getting theirs just like that. One month turned to two months then four months then a year until it got to two years!! I cried, and shouted at God. I could not understand it. There came a time I even gave up! I didn’t want to hear about driving or cars or driving tests. After months of not trying I realized I had to try again. Eventually after a total of 28 attempts I got my license!!! It was one of my best days ever but I realized how I could of set a low level for myself by either giving up and making excuses or buying my license which I was advised to do and which was very easy to do and still is!  If I had done either of those two things I would of set my level for other challenges that would come my way. I would of given up or made excuses or even bribed my way out of a problem but instead when a problem came I found myself enduring and pushing and refusing to give up!!! Where did that come from? I believe it came from not giving up in previous battles. As i kept pushing I was getting stronger. It comes from seeing failure as a teacher and not an obstacle that can’t be overcome! God needed me to be stronger on the inside so He allowed failure to come.

Failure is a teacher, a hard teacher but one which will get you to where God wants you to be if you will react in the right way. Don’t be afraid to fail. You will need failure if you are to succeed! The two work hand in hand. Just because you have failed at something doesn’t mean you are a loser, it just means you have failed. Get up and try again. If you fail again get up and try yet again. Your failures don’t define you, trusting God and you taking a stand does!

Failures are not meant to destroy you but they are there to prepare you for the next storm, they are there to make you stronger.

God bless

Rolain