“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved… But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” – I Samuel 30:6
REFERENCE:
Almost all men encounter failure on their journey to success. Their response is the difference between average people and achieving people. Winston Churchill said, “…failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” It is this courage to continue that many find difficult. The failing is not the problem; the question is, “Will failure move you forward?”
Failure can either stagnate or stimulate you. It will stagnate you if when you fail, you blame others, refuse to try again, repeat the same mistakes, or label yourself a failure. It will stimulate you, if when you fail, you take responsibility, learn from your mistakes, take new risks, be positive, and refuse to label yourself a failure. Failure is not falling down but staying down.
David here models how to fail forward. He moved from the pit of deep despair into the rapture of victory. He moved from losing everything to gaining everything, being sentenced to death to leading a military crusade, and from pain to a victory parade. What can we learn from David?
a. Maintain a positive attitude. David encouraged himself in the Lord. Find reasons to thank God even in your pain. Give the devil a response different from what he is expecting.
b. No time for blame. Although the men seemed to blame David, he blamed no one. He did not blame himself, his men, or God. Blaming yourself or anyone will not change anything.
c. Learn necessary lessons. I imagine David saying, “Next time, we will not leave our rear-end exposed; when we go on a campaign, we will let some men watch our homes.”
d. Get Direction from God. David asked the priest Abiathar to inquire of God to know what to do next. Seek counsel from your spiritual leader. A man met me after he lost his job several years ago. He was devastated, wondering how he would take care of his family of 5. We sought God and prayed. Today, he is a Vice President in an international organization.
e. Take action. Do what God says: start again, do a new thing. Get over shame and move. The lack of willpower has caused more failure than the lack of intelligence or ability.
You can go on to success from whatever failure you are experiencing now. You will not be the first. Several people have risen from failure to unimaginable heights of success. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor who claimed that “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. It was rejected by the city because they felt it would only attract riffraff. See Disney today!
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
I Cor 10:13, Romans 8:28 & Genesis 26:15-22
PRAYERS:
+ Lord, help me to have a positive look at all events in my life, confident that you will work for my good in all situations.
+ I speak a turn around to anything in my life that I may have failed in. I declare that I will bounce back.
+ “Success has made failures of many men.” Ask God to give you the character and the moral capacity to handle success.
Lord, give me the character and moral capacity to handle success 🙏
“Failure is not falling down but staying down.”
I receive grace to accurately interprete the events of my life, knowing that God is for and with me, and that all things will turn for my good, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Amen 🙏🏼
Thank you Lord for renewed hope, clearer direction and fresh strength to rise and try again 🙌🏼
Failing forward is making success out of failure
Thank you Lord for Your grace that enables me to rise up after any and every fall. I will not stay down but will rise up and pursue my success by Your strength and grace.