Last week in the news it was revealed that a 24 megaton nuclear bomb accidentally activated over North Carolina in 1961, and did not explode because a final switch failed.
This type of near disaster happens far more than we imagine. I recognize the sovereignty of God when I see these things... That He decides when things will and will not be. The switch needed to fail that day for a larger purpose.
It's not easy to accept failure in our personal lives, particularly when we have done everything right, including consulting the Lord and walking in faith on a project. It causes us at the very least to question our hearing of His voice. Sometimes we even wonder if we are being punished. (How do you know when you are trapped in legalism and not fully embracing grace? When you look at failures and trials as punishment from The Lord.)
Every leadership guru, every best selling motivational book talks about the benefits of failure. So why is it so hard for devout Christians to accept failure when it happens? Perhaps it is that we are trying to be like Him, and He never fails... Therefore neither should we.
In this case, I am not talking about a sin failure. I'm talking about those times that the Lord didn't allow us to win when we felt so sure it was Him leading us to believe for the victory. Or when we were sure we had met that perfect mate and they did not feel the same way, or it fell apart before it got started. Or we prayed for a healing and they died anyway. These are failures in which we did not see what He sees, and the added sting is a mature believer always wants to align his or her thoughts and vision with His. So why didn't the Lord trust you with the true outcome? Was it because you couldn't handle the truth? Maybe.
It was not because you aren't mature. It was because as you grow in Him, you become more child-like, and you don't second guess all possible outcomes as a kid. You just go for it. He needed you to do exactly what you did and when you did it...without premeditation. You may see the "why" of it all in a few weeks or years, or maybe watching home movies with Jesus in heaven. But this thing you must remember: He is sovereign. Nothing is a surprise and if you are following Him with your whole heart, you will need to return to the Rock that His His sovereignty. And remember Romans 8:28... that He will use it to His good purpose...and yours.
This type of near disaster happens far more than we imagine. I recognize the sovereignty of God when I see these things... That He decides when things will and will not be. The switch needed to fail that day for a larger purpose.
It's not easy to accept failure in our personal lives, particularly when we have done everything right, including consulting the Lord and walking in faith on a project. It causes us at the very least to question our hearing of His voice. Sometimes we even wonder if we are being punished. (How do you know when you are trapped in legalism and not fully embracing grace? When you look at failures and trials as punishment from The Lord.)
Every leadership guru, every best selling motivational book talks about the benefits of failure. So why is it so hard for devout Christians to accept failure when it happens? Perhaps it is that we are trying to be like Him, and He never fails... Therefore neither should we.
In this case, I am not talking about a sin failure. I'm talking about those times that the Lord didn't allow us to win when we felt so sure it was Him leading us to believe for the victory. Or when we were sure we had met that perfect mate and they did not feel the same way, or it fell apart before it got started. Or we prayed for a healing and they died anyway. These are failures in which we did not see what He sees, and the added sting is a mature believer always wants to align his or her thoughts and vision with His. So why didn't the Lord trust you with the true outcome? Was it because you couldn't handle the truth? Maybe.
It was not because you aren't mature. It was because as you grow in Him, you become more child-like, and you don't second guess all possible outcomes as a kid. You just go for it. He needed you to do exactly what you did and when you did it...without premeditation. You may see the "why" of it all in a few weeks or years, or maybe watching home movies with Jesus in heaven. But this thing you must remember: He is sovereign. Nothing is a surprise and if you are following Him with your whole heart, you will need to return to the Rock that His His sovereignty. And remember Romans 8:28... that He will use it to His good purpose...and yours.
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