Failure: The First Step to Victory
Paul tried to do the right thing, but, like us, sometimes he failed. In his letter to the Romans, Paul seems to agonize over his inability to triumph over sin at every confrontation in his life.
Don’t we all feel like Paul at times? We want to do what’s right, but our actions don’t always represent our true desires.
However, Paul learned that failure shouldn’t be condemning – in fact, it taught him one invaluable lesson: "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor.
Here are some things to remember about defeat:
1) Defeat is often engineered by God. God isn’t after self-improvement. He is after death – death to our flesh, which leads to life in Him.
2) Defeat is often essential for God to fulfill His purposes in our lives. When we are broken to the point that the only place we can look is up–and see Him–then we begin to see the purposes and plans He has for our lives.
3) Defeat exposes our weaknesses and inadequacies. Our best efforts never match what God can–and wants–to do in us and through us.
Defeat in our lives doesn’t mean we are defeated. It’s merely God’s way of pointing us to ultimate victory.
Celebrate Fathers this month. Discover what our heavenly Father expects of dads and how He equips them to raise godly sons and daughters in Dr. Stanley’s series “How-To’s for Fathers.”
Breaking News: How to Handle Your Emotions is the latest elective now online at the Charles Stanley Institute of Christian Living! This expansive course focuses on Dr. Stanley's powerful 12-sermon series by the same name. In this course, students not only learn the basics of a healthy, biblical, and positive love for themselves, but they will also target some of the most potentially explosive emotions, including self-image, anxiety, loneliness, guilt, anger, depression, and rejection. Included in this for-pay elective course is a hand-signed copy of Dr. Stanley's book, Finding Peace, which brings further emphasis to the areas of regret, anxiety, and fear.