How do you spell “defeated”?
How many times in your life have you tried and failed at something that was very important to you? Most of us have experienced that more than once. Different folks react to personal failure in a variety of ways. Right?
- Failure at an important goal or dream makes some want to quit. That’s what I did regarding sports.
- Failure can also make some people more determined than ever.
- Failure can transfer over to other areas where we haven’t even tried yet. Some treat relationships that way.
- Failure can take us to a pit of depression or simple apathy.
- Failure makes some people angry and aggressive in the worst way.
However, sometimes failure can break us to the place where we know we need help, and we get it that we aren’t built to accomplish all meaningful goals “all by our lonesome”.
Think about those times when you failed or were defeated by the size of the task, the lack of resources you brought to the work, or the simple fact that you didn’t ask for help.
I have failed along the way at athletics, academics, dating, relationships with potential friends, leadership, and following leadership; but God was not finished with me. Jesus was already my savior in many of the above defeats, but I didn’t know how much He loves and accepts me as I am…defeats and all. He loves me too much to leave me as I am. His promise to us is solid.
When we receive His gifts of forgiveness and life, Jesus comes to us and plants the Holy Spirit at the core of our life. He then begins to change our thinking, emotions, and choices to the place where we start thinking, feeling, and choosing as He does. He uses our defeats and failures to show us how much we need to exercise faith to trust God, not that our life will automatically be easier but to make our life count.
Life is hard. It might as well count.
Just ask my friend whose life was characterized by addiction and failure for 30+ years. He woke up about a year ago and answered the call of God to repent and trust the Father with his future – however long that would be. You should hear the excitement in this man’s voice, as he describes his new life minus the addiction but now with hope and freedom he is experiencing.
What will you and I do with our defeats? Stop trying, stay depressed, lash out at others, or come to accept the privilege of life and eternal life offered by Jesus. You and I have a choice to make….a big one.