Failure is not an Option; It's an Opportunity

Oftentimes when we don’t receive the results we expect we as well as others think we have failed. Usually before undertaking any project we prepare in advance with an expectation of receiving the desired results whether it’s baking a cake, preparing for an exam, writing a business plan or whatever the undertaking. In other words we have done our homework. If we were preparing to bake a cake we would not preheat the oven and prepare our baking pan without first making sure we had all of the required ingredients.

But even if we have all of the right ingredients and follow the directions we may not receive the desired result. Jackie, a friend of mine bakes one of the best pound cakes I have ever tasted. Another friend Diane asked for her recipe which she provided. Diane baked a cake following the directions but the results were not the same. Some of you may think perhaps Jackie did not divulge all of the information to prepare the cake the same way that she does but she did.

Diane could not figure out where she went wrong. Jackie wasn’t there when Diane baked her cake so she could not tell her what she may have done that was different. Diane told Jackie everything she did and Jackie confirmed everything was done correctly. Diane considered herself a failure saying she couldn’t even follow simple directions.

I don’t like to use the word failure. As a matter of fact when I don’t receive the results I expect rather than say I have failed. I say just that. These are not the results I expected. I now have an opportunity to exam my process and try a different approach. There are no failures in life only new opportunities.

Just like Diane you may think you have followed the directions perfectly but rather than be disappointed think about the following:

Ø  Did I do everything exactly the way I was supposed to i.e. did I cut any corners? Perhaps in Diane’s case the directions were to mix by hand 100 strokes. Maybe she used an electric mixer and just counted 100 strokes.

Ø  Do I have a plan? Diane had a recipe to follow which she did. What is your plan? You may have a desired result or goal but what is your plan to reach your goal? Without a plan you don’t have a map to reach your destination.

Ø  Am I following my plan? If you have set a deadline which requires working an hour a day are you working an hour a day or are you skipping a couple of days and making a decision to combine all of the hours at the end of the week? What happens if something unexpected comes up and prevents you from keeping your commitment to complete all of your hours at the end of the week? Have you failed? No you have not, but you have learned putting things off did not yield the desired results so the next week you make a decision to keep your commitment to work an hour each day.

What if you have set a goal followed your plan but did not receive your desired results? What do you do? Initially you may feel disappointed. No one likes rejection and everyone wants to feel successful. What you must realize is that you are successful because you set a goal for yourself and followed your plan to completion. You may not have yielded your desired results but you now have a new opportunity. Maybe you are a singer and performed a song that was not so well received. Perhaps you performed before the wrong audience. Everyone will not receive your thoughts, your dreams, and your goals with the same enthusiasm that you have. Does that mean they are not good ideas? No it does not. It may mean it’s the wrong audience.

Never give up on what you know God has placed in your heart to do. Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. If you do not receive your desired results keep in mind God has given you a desire but the path He places you on will be His and may not always coincide with yours as we read in Proverbs 16:9 a man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directed his steps.

 

 

 

 

Fulfillment

Years ago I would wake up every morning with an uneasy feeling. It’s kind of hard to describe. It felt a little like sadness. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was or its source. I will however say I wasn’t in the best place in my life during this time.

This morning when I woke up I had that same feeling and said God what is this? I’m happier than I’ve been in my entire life even though I do have a pressing issue that has not yet been resolved. But I know that was not the source of this uneasy feeling.

When I thought about it one of the scriptures that have great meaning to me popped into my mind. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. That was it. I am working diligently, although at sometimes maybe not as diligently as I should, but for the most part I am pressing forward towards the vision God has placed in my heart. The uneasiness that I was feeling is a feeling of not being fulfilled.

Life is a journey full of ups and downs getting off track and getting back on track. As the beginning of Proverbs 13:12 reads hope deferred maketh the heart sick. When God has placed something in your heart that He wants you to do whether it is the vision for your life, ministry, job, family or a task you will not be fulfilled until it has been accomplished.

When you are first made aware of what God wants you to do you become excited. You feel joy that He trusts you enough to ask you to do something for him. While preparing to complete your task the feeling of joy may slowly dissipate if you are unable to complete it within your desired timeframe just as we read in the scripture. Depending on the task you may run into obstacles including but not limited to financial or family challenges or opposition from some of the people who initially supported you.

With all that may come against you it is imperative that you keep pushing forward. When you stop moving or procrastinate you may begin to feel like you are not going to reach your goal. Even when things are going your way and everything appears to be perfect you may still feel as though you are unfulfilled. There are a couple of reasons for these feelings.

As previously mentioned you will encounter obstacles to prevent you from moving forward. You may become dismayed which is an emotion that we will feel as fleshly beings but that is why God tells us if we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. In this case the lusts of the flesh are the feeling that we will not reach our goal, or feeling like we want to give up.

These feelings also occur when we reach a milestone in our journey. Perhaps we have been accepted into the college of our choice, received a major contract, purchased a home or given birth to our first child. We are excited because as the second part of Proverbs 13:12 reads the desire or whatever it is that we have been hoping for has come and is like a tree of life. We feel alive like we may have accomplished a great feat. But guess what? There is always more. We may have accomplished what God has given us to do but once we reach that goal He knows that He can trust us and He gives us another task. Just as we read in Matthew 25 as the Lord said to his servants that took their talents and multiplied them…well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.

When you feel unfulfilled realize this is part of the journey. You will reach that point of fulfillment in due season if you faint not. Don’t let an emotion keep you from moving towards your goal. Remember you are a spirit residing in a body.  The body feels the emotions. Let your spirit override your flesh by keeping your eye on the prize, or your goal but most importantly keep your mind on the One who has given you the goal and is more than able to see you and your goal through to fruition.  

 

God is in Control

We read in Jeremiah 1:5 before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. God is never taken by surprise. He knew the end before the beginning of every situation that would happen in our lives and the world in which we live. Oftentimes when an event occurs in our lives whether good or bad we experience different emotions ranging from shock, pain, sorrow and grief if it's a tragic or devastating event to shock, amazement, or euphoria if it's a joyous event.

 

When tragedy strikes we often ask God why? Only He can answer that question. What I can say is that He never gives us more that we can bear without providing a way of escape as we read in 1Corinthians10:13 there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. That way of escape always includes turning to Him for solace.

 

Quoting His words again He also says in Romans 8:28 and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  We have no control over some of the events that occur in our lives or the lives of anyone else, especially our loved ones. If we did have control we certainly would not allow tragedy to occur in our lives or the lives of those we cherish. But trusting in His word again we must realize that something good will come from all things as He as stated.

I was very close to my mother who went to be with The Lord in 2007. Prior to her passing I always thought I would not be able to function if she ever left me. Notice I said left me because that is what I thought. She would be leaving me. I remember when it was time for my mother to go she was in the hospital and was ready to leave this temporary home we call earth. I said to her mamma if you are ready to go why don't you just ask God to take you? She replied I did. Within the next few days she was gone. Her departure was peaceful. She was now at rest. Of course I cried and still miss her tremendously. I talk to her and sometimes while shopping may say mamma would like this or I should get this for mamma for Christmas. Prior to her passing she asked that my sisters and I keep our family together. Little did she know within two years of her death my sisters and I would be living within walking distance of each other’s homes? I am sure this is not the togetherness to which she was referring, however it is a blessing and has worked together for the good of us all.

 

You may say death is tragic and it is.  It is tragic for those who are left behind but remember the death of Jesus removed the sting from death meaning there would be no pain in death. Additionally to be absent from the body is to be present with The Lord. Solomon also advises us we should morn when a child is born because of what he or she will face on earth and rejoice in death because there is no more sorrow in the lives of those that are dead.

 

Perhaps the tragedy you are facing is not death but feels just as devastating. Again I refer you to 1Corinthians 10:13 and Romans 8:28. Will reading the scriptures bring comfort? Maybe they will and maybe they won't but whether or not they bring comfort they are true and believe it or not in time the pain will lessen as we read in Isaiah 61:3 He will give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

 

Will the pain go away immediately probably not? Will it ever go away? It can become bearable enough for you to function and it can also serve as a testimony to others if you will allow God to comfort you and bring you peace which comes with resting in him.

What is important is that we share Jesus Christ with those that we love so when they do depart from this temporary home for their eternal home we can rest assured that they will spend eternity with God.

 

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior I strongly encourage you to do so now simply by reading the following out loud. Dear God I come before you now acknowledging I am a sinner. I ask that you forgive me of my sins. I know that you gave the life of your Son and on the third day He rose and is seated at your right hand. I thank you for accepting me as yours and from this day forward I belong to you.

If you spoken this prayer I encourage you to find a bible based church to attend.

 

I also encourage you whether a newly converted or seasoned Christian to share this word with all you know. As the title of this blog reads and whether it appears that way or not God is in control.

Perseverance

While on vacation last week I was able to witness two amazing performances by two different types of performers. The first included four different motorcycle groups performing synchronized drills. The precision was amazing each group unique in its own way. It was obvious the amount of time, effort and practice each group exercised to hone their skills.

At the end of each performance you could see the joy in their faces as they celebrated their flawless performance. The crowd applauded cheered and whistled at the finale when all four groups rode together blowing their horns and flashing their lights.

The second performance was by Vocal Trash. You may have heard of them or attended one of their performances yourself. I watched and listened as they sang, danced and engaged the audience with their enthusiastic musical message played on instruments made from recycled materials.

Both groups of performers were filled with passion. If you haven’t realized it I am very passionate about people who are passionate about their passion. As I listen to people talk about their passions I can see and feel their passion. I can visual the success of a passionate individual as they express to me their goals as well as their plans to attain them.

The operative words here are passion, goal and plan. In addition to a passion, drive or desire you must set S.M.A.R.T or specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited goals. You must also have an action plan. Any of these by themselves are enough to light a fire but you need the other two to fuel the fire and keep it burning.

Even with the combination of all three there will be times you may think you are wasting your time, will never succeed and if you have made a monetary investment you may feel like you have thrown your money away. It was obvious the performers I watched had passion, a goal and an action plan but there were probably times when thoughts of failure may have crossed their minds just as they may have yours and mine.

What made these performers successful? Perseverance, it’s the same thing that makes anyone successful. I’ve written about commitment and being convinced but no matter how committed you are or how convinced you are you must still have goals and a plan of action to reach your goals. You should invest time and effort daily if possible. Create a weekly plan to reach your overall goal.  If you are unable to commit time daily set aside time on your calendar during the week to commit to your plan. Do not become discouraged if you are unable to keep your commitment one day. Instead if possible increase your effort the next day you have allotted on your calendar so you do not fall behind in your weekly goal. What is your plan this week to take you closer to reaching your goal?

 

What Do You See?

Have you ever walked past a store in the mall or building with glass front and taken a glimpse of yourself as you walked by? What did you see? Perhaps you noticed your hair, your clothing, or even your stride as you caught your image for a brief moment.

Once you passed that place you could no longer see your image nor could anyone else that may have been glancing in that direction at the same time. Your physical body was still in motion but the image was no longer visible.

Depending on the glass your reflection may have appeared elongated, or it could have appeared to be stretched out or shrunken. Paul says in James 1:22-24 but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway fogetteth what manner of man he was.

What do people see when they look at you? We also read in 1 Samuel 16:7 ...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Just as you see your image as you walk past the glass that is the same image man sees but is that who you are? We read in James if you are not a doer of the word but a hearer only you are that image that is in the glass. Once your reflection is gone you forget who you are on the inside. You lose track of what God has called you to do if you are looking and listening but not doing.

Oftentimes we get excited when we have an idea or a vision in mind of what we want to do or the direction in which we believe God is leading us. But once we take our eyes off of how we see ourselves involved in our destiny, or if we no longer hear ourselves talking about what it will take to get there we are no longer taking steps towards reaching our goals. We are no longer doing that which will take us there.

But we are just like that image in the glass; our image is no longer there. We must always stay proactive. We must always be in the business of being in business. It is easy to become distracted and lose sight of our goals. But we must do something every day to remind ourselves of what it is that we are striving to do. I don’t like to use the word small because there is no small effort. Any effort at all should be rewarded because it takes you one step closer to your victory.

I will close this by saying don’t forget the image in the mirror. You may be the only one that sees it. Let your works speak for themselves because the image is only temporary.