Lion Heart ENCOURAGE – Fail until you win

Intro:

I believe winning too easily and too quickly, isn’t good for us. It creates entitlement and ultimately will make us weaker. Certainly, on the other side of the scale, a life without winning will break you spirit. Suffering and struggling, if channeled correctly, will produce beauty and strength. If channeled negatively, will produce bitterness and darkness in your life.

Encouragement:

King David days life is a perfect definition of failing to win. 22 long years from anointing to being crowed as king of both kingdoms. Of that he spent 7 years running from Saul.

22 years of trials and failures! 22 years of wondering if what Samuel said was true!

During the 7 years he spent running from King Saul, David faced some major trials:

1. Saul's Jealousy and Attempts on His Life: After David's victory over Goliath, Saul became increasingly jealous, leading to multiple attempts on David's life.

2. Fleeing to Nob: David sought refuge with Ahimelech the priest, where he received consecrated bread and Goliath's sword. Saul later killed the priests of Nob for aiding David.

3. Escape to Gath: David fled to Gath, the city of the Philistines, where he had to feign madness to avoid being captured by King Achish.

4. Living in the Wilderness: David spent significant time in the wilderness of Ziph and other desolate areas, often living in caves and relying on the loyalty of a small group of followers.

5. Betrayal by the Ziphites: The Ziphites informed Saul of David's whereabouts, leading to further danger and the need for David to constantly move.

6. Moral Dilemmas: David had opportunities to kill Saul but chose not to, demonstrating his commitment to respecting Saul's position as the Lord's anointed.

7. Loss of Family: While David was away, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, taking captive his wives and the families of his men, leading to a desperate rescue mission.

8. Emotional Strain: David faced immense emotional turmoil, including fear, loneliness, and the burden of leadership over his followers, who were often distressed and discontented.

9. Conflict with the Philistines: David had to navigate relationships with the Philistines, sometimes fighting against them while also seeking refuge among them.

   
   

Your response to life is what makes the difference. Your response to adversity is what determines your trajectory. Your response to failure will determine your destination.

A short trip through the Psalms quickly reveals which way David went. He always ran to the presence of God. It is clear he knew God.

Failure is part of life. You're going to fail and you're going to fail and you're going to fail and you're going to fail and then if you persevere, you're going to win.

Without life’s challenges, we’re just existing. We are not designed to just exist. Inaction and passivity can be comfortable for a time, but eventually in-action will cost you. As men, we need to change our default sinful settings. Your default setting should be ‘get up and go’! Tap into that awesome potential God has embedded into each of us. Get up and do something. Get up and move towards that challenge. Go attack it. Go do something that's hard.

Excuses are the Chief of thieves!

During the US Navy Seal training most of those who quit site a medical reason or that there's a family emergency. There are very few people that attempt it and fail, and then look at you and say ‘oh I quit coz it sucked’. Which in actual fact is exactly what happens to the vast majority of people. The vast majority of people that don't make it through SEAL training, don’t make it through because they just quit. There was no medical issue, nor a family emergency.

Your excuses will destroy you and take everything that you ever wanted from you if you let them.

Now, how do we conquer these failures and these excuses? There is a solution, but it is a balance of a few things.

Most motivational speakers will address things like passivity, failure and excuses, but they will present a wrong solution. They would present a soulish solution. ‘Mind over matter’, or ‘muscle your way through it’, or get ‘some will power man’, or ‘grow a pair’.

Well, to me this approach is almost evil. I don’t say this lightly. The devil wants to keep you in your soul realm, as there he can beat you. He wants to convince you that although ‘you are the problem’ (Attack No.1), ‘you also have the solution within you’ (Attack No. 2).

It’s simple: Sin is the problem, and Jesus is the answer! I know it is more complicated than this, but this is the crux of the matter.

We need to attack the trials and weaknesses by getting before the King. Beholding His glory and love. Being washed by His blood, being refreshed by His presence and Grace. This is where your restoration begins. With Jesus. The Answer is always JESUS.

Now for the balancing act….  Above I mention that it is a balance of a few things, right. Two aspects really, Jesus first, you second.

What do I mean? What I mean by ‘you second’ is that you indeed have a certain responsibility in this whole matter. He has done His part, now it is up to you.

First, we come to Him, surrender our lives, our failures our excuses. Allowing His will and way in our lives.

Second, we take responsibility for the outflowing of what He does internally. He works in us, now we allow that work to flow out, changing us and the environment around us.

This flowing out is our responsibility. Action, ultimately, is up to us.

You decide whether you want to stay in the couch with the remote in your hand. You decide whether your work is more important than your health and your family. You decide whether pursuing a cheap thrill from porn is better than the longer route of pursuing your wife. You decide.

But the solution always starts with Jesus! Don’t remain in the soul, come to the King and allow Him to wash you, cleanse you, clothe you and restore you. Then, face the challenges that the world and our flesh present to us head-on.

Bless you brother!

Your Brother in Christ,

Stanley 

(Human author.)