Failure

Failure is not only an option, it is plan "A."

I don't mean a moral failure or an ethical failure or a legal failure where we fail in our Christian walk, our walk with God in His Spirit, but rather, I mean a personal failure.

This is when we fail to meet the standards of the world, the standards of society, the requirements of our culture. It is when we fall short of those behaviors and accomplishments necessary to gain fame, renown, wealth, power.

If you have ever wondered why it seems that God sets you up for failure by putting you in situations which require skills and talents and abilities and knowledge that are not your strong points, you simply need to turn the coin over and look at the other side.

We are to show the glory of God, the power of God, the riches of God, the abundance of God to the world which does not perceive Him because His Spirit is not of the world. 

They will not see God if we show them an eloquent speaker whose oration can persuade multitudes -- they will see the person. Instead, if they see people who are uneducated in the niceties of oration, unfamiliar with distinctions of doctrinal differences, but through whose words the lives and hearts of others are changed visibly and permanently, then they will see the hand of God working.

Acts 3
v.6 "I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene— walk!" 
v.7 Then taking his hand Peter lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened. 
v.8 Leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk, and went into the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God.

Acts 4
v.13 As they looked on Peter and John so fearlessly outspoken—and also discovered that they were illiterate persons, untrained in the schools—they were surprised; and now they recognized them as having been with Jesus. 
v.14 And seeing the man standing with them—the man who had been cured—they had no reply to make.

I am grateful for my education. I can read and write and that allows me to learn from others and share with them. I have skills and knowledge that I can earn a living with and provide for my family in ways that God blessed me with. I give my abilities to God for His use on a daily basis, asking Him to be glorified through them. That lets others how highly I esteem the Lord.

But when God moves through me in ways that I have consistently proven I have no skills for, people understand that what happened was outside of my ability, and they realize that something, Someone, greater that me was involved.  For that to happen, I have to have repeatedly, continually, publicly been found to be incapable in some way, to be a failure in the eyes of the watching world, my circle of acquaintances, my neighbors, my peers. 

2 Corinthians 4:7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

If we end up moving from job to job, with no permanent position working out, the world considers us flawed or faulty in some way, deficient of something important. But if we have given ourselves to God for His glory, He has the right to move us from workplace to workplace to share His gospel and power, doing a great work for the kingdom of God in the mission field of the work place. 

If we drive a truck, or clean homes or offices, or wait tables, work in a call center, or a score of other positions the world considers "menial," we will not be considered by society as worthy of respect as an Oscar winner or the recipient of a Nobel prize or a Heisman trophy. But we have such extensive opportunities to meet many people daily and to minister to people who are needy and hungry in ways that only God can meet.

If we battle with bills, face family issues, deal with disease, live with problems, even the church world can look down on us and consider that we are just not "good Christians" or else we would be not be striving in these areas. But as long as our hearts are clear with God and we walk intimately in His spirit and love, God gives us His grace and favor as He reaches others and changes lives through our submission and obedience to His Spirit's guidance.

2 Corinthians 4
v.8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 
v.9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 
v.10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Let God reveal your weaknesses, your lacks, your shortcomings, your failures; through them, He will reveal His abundance and richness to meet the needs of others and draw them to Him as they see the love of God given to you. Let Him be strong in your life so that He can be strong for others.

Loving Father, Your heart is to draw all to Yourself. To that end, You allowed Your Son to be displayed in every possible way as weak, unsuccessful, and a failure, only to grant Him Your resurrection power and set Him on the throne to reign and rule. We yield ourselves to Your purpose, Father, to use us as You see fit, for Your love to others is the same love You have shown to us.

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