“The 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.” (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT)
We have closed the door on 2009. The New Year 2010 is in front of us like an open book with blank pages. What will 2010 be for you and me? It will be a year of highs and lows, tears and laughter, trials and answers. Success AND failure. But I tell you on the authority of the Bible that God has already planned the year 2010 for us and is there waiting for us to join Him. With God there can be no failure. With God there is success. Most times we are the cause of our own failure.
Maybe some of us feel that 2009 was a failure. If so, step back and look at where God was calling us and look at where we went and what we did on our own. I can almost guarantee that they are not the same place.
The literal definition of the word "failure" is a lack of success in or at something. In reality though, we cannot achieve success in anything without failures along the way. No one is born with the ability to do anything successfully on the first attempt. Babies fall when learning to walk; pianists hit sour notes when trying to master a new song; athletes come in second and third while building up what it takes to win in first place. But there is a common thread among them all: they never let fear of failure stop them from striving for success.
A lot of us have a fear of failure. God knows we fear failure. But if we desire to be used by God to further His kingdom and bring glory to His name, we must ask Him to help us overcome this.
Imagine the amazing things we could do in God's name if we never let fear hold us back! We might stumble along the way; but in the end, God's name would be glorified, and we would set an example for those around us that it's okay to try big things for God, even if we fail along the way to success.
There are three ways to overcome our fear of failure.
Allow God to Lead through His Word - Appreciate HIS Word. Recognize it as the love letter that it is. It is inspired, perfect, dependable and powerful. We need to fully realize the gift we have in God’s Word. His Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.
Allow God to lead through prayer - Prayer is a two-way street. If we will are still, we will hear His still small voice in our hearts. Prayer is not just talking AT God, or even TO God. Prayer is talking WITH God!
Allow God to lead through the preaching of His Word – Preaching is a special time. It is when God speaks thru an individual to make a point. God will always make sure He touches lives through preaching. His Word will never fail. God will apply it to every listening heart.
If our heart is right with God and God’s Word is in our heart then the Lord can and will direct our steps. They will be steps of success glorifying God and not steps of failure.
We are often confused by the events around us. Many things we will never understand. Some things will fall into place in the coming year if we let God overcome our failure and glorify Himself in our success. We do not need to worry if we do not understand everything as it happens. Instead, we should trust that God knows what he’s doing. God knows our success and our failure. God knows our fear of success and our fear of failure as well. Our focus must always be on the Lord not on the circumstances. To have our steps ordered by the Lord we must first seek Him in all that we do and get His Word firmly planted in our hearts.
The writer of this is unknown, but this should be our plan for 2010:
“WHOSE KINGDOM ARE WE TO SEEK?
God’s kingdom
Not my kingdom
Not the world’s kingdom
But God’s kingdom
Not only His kingdom but his righteousness
That will be how our steps are ordered by the Lord.
Seeking His kingdom, His righteousness.
Overcoming my fear of failing.
Only and always glorifying and exalting HIS Name.”
Failure is in the past. God is already in the future planning our success in His name for His Glory.
I am not one for New Year’s resolutions or things I plan to do this coming year. But may I suggest a very important resolution for this New Year? Focus on knowing the will of God, doing the will of God, and loving the will of God. That's it. To know, do, and love the will of God! Will we do that this year? Will we take our stand on the will of God? When God shows us something, He is seeking His success and not our failure. We can plant both feet firmly on God’s Will and say, "Here I stand! And I shall not, I shall not be moved!"
Happy New Year.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
