What causes failure? - Failure - TouchPoints

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.”

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.”

Isaiah 59:2It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

Jeremiah 19:15“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.’”

Zephaniah 1:17“Because you have sinned against the Lord, I will make you grope around like the blind. Your blood will be poured into the dust, and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”

Romans 2:5-6Because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done.

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.

Sin is the cause of many failures. God tells us to live a certain way for a very good reason: to help us make the most of life now and into eternity. Sin causes failure because it is living contrary to God’s plan, which is always best for us. God knows the best way to succeed in life because he created life. We fail when we go against God’s Word and try to live our own way.

Joshua 8:14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn’t realize there was an ambush behind the town.

When we overreact or act impulsively, we may move in the wrong direction and make more mistakes.

Proverbs 19:2-3Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.

Impatience can lead to poor life choices. When we hurry to act without knowing all the facts, we will often fail to do what we should.

Genesis 13:10-13Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. . . . Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. . . . So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

Genesis 25:29-34One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” . . . “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” . . . So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Failure often comes when we pursue our own agendas for purely selfish reasons. When our choices are guided primarily by selfish ambition or a desire for personal gratification, we will likely make foolish decisions that lead to failure.

1 Kings 12:1-11Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. “Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.” . . . Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. “What is your advice?” he asked them. . . . The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”

Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Rejecting the advice of proven counselors can lead to failure.