When we thing of failure, what comes to our mind first?
- Failure in business achievement
- Failure in marriage
i) Peace
ii) Barrenness
iii) Finding a life partner
3. Failure in bring up our children in Christian way
4. Failure to win the love of another (Forgetting that Christian Martyrs preferred Christ love to any human love).
Luke 5: 1 – 8
Lesson 1: Verse 3 – Jesus sat in the boat and taught the crowd.
- We ought to hear the Word of God. Read it yourself Joshua 1:8 (This word shall not depart from your mouth)
- Attending the gathering of the children of God Heb10:25 (Do not neglect the gathering of the children of God)
Lesson 2: Verse 4 – When He finished speaking, he said “…let deep your net for a catch”
- Digesting of the Word of God we heard
- Meditation – letting God to speak to us in His own way.
Lesson 3: Verse 5 – …We worked hard all night and we caught nothing. But if you said so, I will let down the net.
- Yes, I‘ve tried all possible means but still have to hold on to the word.
- Stop complaining and listen to have He told you in meditation
- Learn to hear His voice
- Faith Hope of all things not seen Hebrew 11:1
Lesson 4: Verse 6 – They let them down and caught such a large number of fish.
- Put your faith – what you heard from Him in meditation in action.
- Make a move and let God lead
- Keep on declaring open doors in your life.
Lesson 5: Verse 5 – They motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
- Invite people greater than you in spirit for help in prayer. Prophets of old is still the same with the Prophets of today. But be wise and pray for God’s guardians
- Share with others no matter how little you are blessed with.
Lesson 6: Verse 8 -9 He fell on his knees before Jesus and acknowledged Him… Go away from me Lord! I am a sinful man.
- Always be thankful, acknowledge God every minute of your life.
- Do not let your pass press you down Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
How do we meet failure?
Failure comes in different ways; in some people’s cases it might not be humanly fault, in some others it might be their fault.
A Failures that are not human fault
- Failures willed by God: In the issue of Esau and Jacob
Romans 9:10-13 – Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Malachi 1: 2-3 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Genesis 25:23
2. Many experienced failure because of their nature
– Ugly
– Deformation
– Unintelligent etc
3. Family background
– Poverty in the family – Jabez I chronicle 4:9-10
– Jesus’ family was a setback to His teaching also … can something good come from Bethlehem. St August said that “ without the resurrection and coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Himself would be deemed to failure”
4. Uncultured / unmannered people
– Bad up bringing can course failure in someone’s life. No one that comes across uncultured person that will like to have anything to do with him/her again.
5. Barrenness / Sterile
– The story of Hannah and her husband’s wife Peninnah 1 Samuel 1:1-8
B. Failures that are human fault.
- Sin – It’s a result of man not knowing God’s goodness. If we acknowledge God’s goodness, His love, we will never do anything to hurt Him.
– Proverb 14:34 Righteousness exult a nation …
– Genesis 4:10 Curses on Cain because he killed his brother Abel
– 1 Timothy 5:23 The sins of people are plain to see and their sins go ahead of them…
2. Comparing ourselves to someone
– Riches –
– Beauty – having surgery just to be beautiful like your colleague
– Education etc
3. Envy. It is one of the worst suffering connected to failure.
– Envying someone gifted by the Spirit of God
– Envying one whose prayer has been answered and yours not answered.
4. Not seeking the face of God before doing things.
– The story of Ruth Ruth 1:1-22
Steps in overcoming Failure
- Accept setback or poverty as part of God’s providence (Job’s story) Romans 9:19-21
- If convinced that your failure is God’s will, keep on praying until He makes your goal possible. (Proverb 19:21 – You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail)
- Identify your problem/failure with the failure of Jesus, the God-Man who was rejected by the people of his own village the religious leaders who supposed to be his anchor.
- Pray for the spirit of humility. Seek God by being committed to humility and serving rather than personal comfort and self gratification.
- Avoid blaming others for your failure as if they were more powerful than God. (Nothing happens without God’s permission/will Roman 9:14 – 18)
– Ask for grace to forgive those who stands in your way (He will make your enemies at peace with you Proverb 16:7)
6. Be joyful all the time. Engage yourself in praises
– It makes you a lion
– It makes you prevails
– It’s a media that transfer your battle to God. And God takes over, and when God takes over, it’s over.