There is No Failure in God
Updated: Jul 10, 2019
Replacing I can't with YOU CAN will be one of the most life changing experiences you can ever have as a believer in Christ.
When I was 12 years old, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. There was no doubt in my mind that I would become an Academy Award Winning Actress, a producer, a director, a writer, but first I would enter pageants, I think I must've read too much about Vanessa Williams. I would actually grade my classmates' schoolwork, "Graded by Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Universe, JET Beauty of the Week (yes, I said that, lol), Academy Award Winner DeAnn Dunkins. As you can see I was quite extra and maybe a little too knowledgeable in a few worldly events. I knew what I wanted to be. I never would've thought that at 40, I would've only accomplished half of that dream (I never even attempted to pursue the Beauty of the Week). I did participate in a pageant, I have helped produce and direct short films, I have written plays and published my own writing, and I did act in theater and in a couple of commercials and local films, but until this very moment I hadn’t really pondered over what I have done, due to various circumstances in life, I mainly focused on what I hadn’t done and feelings of failure crept into my mind. I know I am not the only one who thinks about what they are supposed to be doing. I've witnessed my friends go back to school to try to figure out life's path. We’ve had conversations about not knowing what we want to do with our lives, and I've read articles about our generation and our multiple career choices. Many of us have added spouse and parent to our title and sometimes these additions have made us even more indecisive or selective. We want to take on the world, while embracing every sweet moment with those God has blessed us to love.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...
And there I sat, feeling overwhelmed. Becoming an entrepreneur or deciding what to do in life once you become an adult is not a walk in the park. Some days you are in overdrive, some days you might coast, and other days your journey takes multiple turns. The journey can be filled with some hardships and you question your own ability. To make matters worse, you can hop on social media and get some of what seems like the best advice about working hard and reaping the rewards and becoming a BOSS and then turn right around and look at pictures of someone who makes it look so easy.
My overwhelming feeling came because I was tired of the ups and downs. I knew that if I wanted to see real change I must be consistent. Be consistent to what? And how long does that take, and ultimately feeling like God, what did I do to get us here and how do I make it better? The world has all sorts of advice for you, even leading you to think that you can do this alone and become self made, but let me tell you, while our ability to fail is endless, THERE IS NO FAILURE IN GOD.
We often quote Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." That passage from the Bible was in reference to those who were exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem. When we quote the scripture we leave out an important factor immediately following, Jeremiah 29:12-14 “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.” In Jeremiah’s letter he told the Israelites that they would not return home for 70 years. In the meantime they were told to pray to God, don't listen to fortune tellers and prophets who were with them in Babylon because they were telling lies in God's name, to get married, multiply and have children, help their children find spouses, so that they would multiply and have children, keep on going, and work for the peace and prosperity in Babylon because it's welfare determines their welfare. Everything that was told to them is extremely significant and can be applied to our modern day society. For us that would include, stop looking to social media, put down the horoscopes and ideology of others and seek the Lord. When we look at the Israelites struggle through most of the Old Testament, we find God repeating Himself, giving them rules they begged for, only for them to follow them when it was convenient for them and then listening to them beg to hear a Word from Him. One of the biggest issues the Israelites had is they did not take heed to the Words that were given to their forefathers. In essence they did not trust what God had already said, they did not trust God.
It is very important that we seek God in everything we do. It is crucial that we go to God in prayer and read His Word, and cling to Him, seeking His guidance above all. Yes, He will give us what we need to not only prosper within our homes, and when we live a life that is faithful and pleasing to Him, we are helping to ensure that His Kingdom on earth prospers. BUT as Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, we have to trust Him at all times.
Why does trust matter?
Have you ever ever sat in a chair that you didn’t trust to hold you up? If you’re like me, you angle your body in a way that doesn’t have the chair bearing all your weight. You may cross your leg and lean over or you sit on the very edge but why would you even sit in an unreliable chair in the first place? Well sometimes its because we want to be in a position to give our full attention to someone or something but most often we want to find rest and at that very moment we will take the rest however we can get it. Now based on scripture and what we’ve been told our God is NOTHING like that unreliable chair, in fact, Christ tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The decisions we have in life may cause confusion and disappointment within us, but if we are fully operating in God and remembering His Word and promises to us then where do we find room for failure, unless we consider John 5:44, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” What are we expecting to receive from the course we choose in life and whose journey are we trying to fulfill, that of man or God? God may plant the seed in our hearts and minds as He calls us. However, our destination does not only depend on our determination, but on our obedience and trust in Him throughout our lives.
Failure is NOT an Option
Some of us were raised in homes where failure was not an option. There were parents who worked diligently to help children understand but application of what was taught relied on the children. Truth be told, parents were not always equipped with every single answer to problems we may have faced. Some of our parents had to rely on outside resources to help us get through difficult situations. But for those parents who made the attempt usually the desired outcome was for us to succeed. We may find ourselves frantically parenting, hoping for the best possible outcome or looking for every opportunity to expose ourselves and our children to “better” thinking there must be some benefit, like a road map to success in doing so based on the world’s standard. But what does God say? How are we trusting Him to lead and direct our lives and modeling that for children for the welfare of our communities? Are we looking at monetary gain as the answer to success or are we not only praying and following God’s commands but displaying that we are putting our trust in Him more than we are the world? Are we committing to Philippians 4:13, “I can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST WHO strengthens me?” Or our we committed to social media challenges that often lead us to feeling like we have to depend on ourselves to make things happen? If we commit ourselves to work for the sake of pleasing and glorifying God then our challenges will look different as we learn to share our ups and downs with the Lord instead of internalizing them or groveling about them with others.
Lastly, when we attempt to obedient to God, while choosing to solely rely on ourselves, there will be plenty of fallible moments that may break us down. But when we totally rely on God, there’s no need to consider positioning ourselves so He can carry our weight, especially when we are about to fall, just rest in knowing He will NEVER fail.
Just breathe and say, God, You’ve GOT THIS!