... then why do I fail?

If "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", why do I fail? I have asked myself that question at more times than I care to recall. There have been times where I wanted to learn things, or lose weight, write a book, reach out to others... and I fail miserably.

If you fail like this too many times, eventually you start doubting your faith. Thoughts like, "maybe it's something wrong with me," and "maybe I'm just called to be in the background" start creeping into your mind.

The truth is, we usually fail for one of 2 major reasons. 1) We are trying to do it out of our own strength. 2) We are not doing what God is asking us to do at the time.

Let's look at both of these, quickly. First, what does it mean to do it out of our own strength? It basically means that we have decided to do something and we are going to accomplish it out of our own will and our own power. However, when you read the Bible, and you see all the great men and women of God - the things that they accomplished could only be done by God. Noah building the Ark, Abraham and Sarah having a son in his old age, David killing Goliath, the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace and Peter walking on the water are only a few examples of people doing things that no ordinary person could do. The Bible is God's story... and he says:

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8

 God has a plan for us. Many times, God's plan is not our plan at the moment. God, who lives in eternity knows what He wants to accomplish. When Jesus is talking to Nicodemus He says, "the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8) God's desire is to have us move according to His plan and in His timing.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

The thing that we forget about this verse is that it comes just after God tells His people that they are going to be in captivity for 70 years! The people wanted to go home, but God had a long term plan that they just couldn't see.

So, as we go into the weekend, let us struggle to put things into perspective, and understand that we are most successful when we let God be God, and we struggle to be obedient.