by David Brenneman
From "God Sized Dreams" devotional on the Bible app.
"The coffee shop is quiet except for the sound of voices at the table across from me, and I can’t help but overhear.
An older man says, “Most people think failure is here.” He taps one edge of the table. “And that success is here.” He taps the opposite edge. Then he places both of his hands in the center of the table. “But failure and success are really here. Side by side.”
The young man he’s talking to nods, and the mentor continues, “Don’t try to avoid failure completely. Or you’ll never be successful.”
His words ring in my ears and my heart as I take another sip of coffee.
Every time I get ready to try something new, I hear the question, “What if it doesn’t work?” And the answer is, of course, “I’ll look like a fool.” Over time, I’ve come to believe this—that’s not a good enough reason not to do it.
Sometimes looking like a fool comes with the territory of God-sized dreams.
Noah built an ark.
Moses wandered in the desert.
Jesus hung on the cross.
And those who watched shook their heads and muttered words like “failure” and “fool.”
Little did they know."
This is a good lead in, I believe, to something that I am trying to understand about the book of Job. I recently bought the MacArthur Study book on the book of Job to try to understand where Job's friends went wrong.
In life it's often thought to avoid failure at all costs...and I also now wonder where that is right or wrong.
Thomas Edison, while being interviewed about the light bulb, said "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work".
Others looked at things differently and if they hadn't there's many things we have today that wouldn't exist. I, likewise, have no Engineering Degree. But this by no means stops me from being an Engineer. I don't have the restrictions taught at Engineering schools.
While the saying made famous in "Apollo 13" the movie makes its rounds still yet today of "Failure is not an option!", failure oftentimes is where we begin to meet what it is that God's wanting for us in His plans for us.
Expecting to be misunderstood is often rather helpful. Realizing you're comparing yourself to other's in the faith after never having considered it helps as well.
Sitting in a situation where everything points to having done nothing wrong and everything right yet by all worldly appearances failing tends to make you think about things.
"Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 Corinthians 1:20.
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Corinthians 1:25.
We are therefore in really good company to follow what we know God wants of us and yet look like fools to the world.
As the devotional goes on to say...expecting to look foolish tends to take the sting out of the comments when apparent failure occurs.
I invent things that don't necessarily work the first time. I sometimes reinvent things that others have made because I seek the understanding behind it or because if I can build something for less than buying it and I have the materials...why not?
From the time I was as yet still in diapers my Mom tells me that I was fascinated with the prospect of figuring things out. My childhood wasn't spent among other children as many grew up doing. I wasn't one to reach out to make friends because of various reasons. So I had my own 'corner' of the basement to work on my experiments and through books and and Radio Shack taught myself things. Failure was just a part of the learning process but it was on my own terms.
A friend who was the man behind the audio ministry at the church I grew up in saw my curiosity and took me under his wing to learn it. That was the beginning of 20 years of working with audio equipment, oftentimes building setups that worked or sometimes didn't.
Failing in front of others in public isn't something that I relish. The inevitable embarrassment that usually accompanied those things wasn't pleasant.
Failure most certainly is an option while we're being trained in righteousness. We're not going to just get it and never not get it. Everyone in Christ likely has repeated lessons being taught by the Spirit. Read the Gospels, in the years of Jesus teaching the Disciples, how often did they ever get it right the first time?
Look at what's not written in the book of Job: what their failure to understand about God took them afterwards. Those friends who weren't giving good advice to Job were there when the Lord Jesus responded to Job. Class was in session.
"It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job." Job 42:7-9.
The youngest of his friends wasn't rebuked. Something to consider in this as well.
Expecting to see some degree of failing at something that we're being directed to do by the Spirit is healthy. We read of being "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48.
This is our goal. Our goal in this life isn't worldly success or great financial gain or an abundance of possessions. It's not currying favor with everyone to stay in good standing among men.
Expect people not to get it when some things are being done in your life through the Spirit of God. The so-called failures you experience might someday be the key to spiritual success in the lives of people the Spirit brings to you who are ready to come to Christ for salvation.
Failure isn't necessary failing in the eyes of God. Failure could be the beginning of understanding for us and preparation for things to come that will inevitably glorify God.
I do indeed have God sized dreams. Lord willing they will be accomplished. Some know of what it is and perhaps I look foolish for having spoken much of what it is and have not shown much fruit in accomplishing it. Noah spent over 100 years building the Ark. There's time. Should the Rapture of the Church occur first, all is still well.
Noah's God sized dreams were left where his faith put them: in the Lord’s hands and became something greater than he ever expected.
Right now my life has, shall we say, complications. Medical on top of employment complications. By these things I am not measured in Christ.
Am I still doing what it is that He wants of me regardless of the situations?
Are you obeying God in Christ Jesus regardless of how it makes you appear before others? Indeed it may mean looking foolish, but when you consider Paul's letters, being foolish for the sake of the Lord in the eyes of the world is ok.
While I can't see if I am failing or succeeding in my walk with my Savior, I am to continue on with whatever He has for me to be doing no matter how I look doing it.
Forgiving others may make us look foolish to the world, however, it's a requirement of Godly living.
Obedience in Christ may make us look foolish, however, it's a requirement of a life in Christ.
The world and even possibly friends and family might get the wrong perspective of my being terminated from my last employer. The spiritual truth is I obeyed the Spirit of God in befriending a brother in Christ and that is what I was truly terminated from there for. Whatever is on paper doesn't matter when the Spirit tells you to do something, you do it...even if you look foolish afterwards.
Our identity is that of Christ follower. We are to take up our own cross and follow Him. The Scriptures say that the cross "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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