How can I keep from failing? - Failure - TouchPoints

Matthew 16:26“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

If we managed a successful business, raised a good family, won all kinds of community awards, and retired comfortably, we might say life had been a success. But even the good can lead to failure if they crowd out what is the greatest and of utmost importance—a relationship with God. Life apart from God now means life apart from him for eternity. And because God is good and perfect, life apart from God also means life apart from all that is good and perfect. We fail when we neglect or ignore God and do not discover what a relationship with God means for our future.

Numbers 14:22“Not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice.”

Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Hebrews 4:6So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God.

Failure results when we ignore God’s voice and disobey his Word. The Bible reveals God’s instructions for success and peace in this life; it provides the foundation upon which we can build our lives. We can prevent much failure by reading the Bible and building our lives on its principles.

Joshua 7:3-12Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? . . .” But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! . . . That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat.”

Initially, we may not understand the true cause of our failure. In this situation, Joshua learned that the real cause of his failure was not a faulty battle plan but a greedy soldier whose deception brought disaster on the army. This insight, however, only came to Joshua as he sought God’s direction and counsel in assessing the failure. We should never underestimate God’s desire and ability to show us when a spiritual problem has caused us to fail.

Psalm 37:23-24The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Proverbs 24:16The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Micah 7:8Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

We should not let failure discourage us. Instead, we should see failure as a way to growth and maturity. Success is much sweeter when we have overcome failure.

Joshua 8:1Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

1 Chronicles 28:20Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”

Giving up is a sure way to fail. Courage and perseverance help prevent failure, especially if we know God approves of what we are doing.

Proverbs 15:22Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

Good advice helps prevent failure. A concert of wise counsel makes good music for success.

Lamentations 3:23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

God’s great faithfulness not only helps us to avoid failure; it helps us to start over if we do fail. When we fail to honor or obey God, we should ask him for forgiveness and begin afresh.

Isaiah 42:23Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?

We can avoid failure by learning from the mistakes of the past.