Understanding Failure

A process failure is when a goal has been successfully met, but the core issue has not... leaving the person dissatisfied because the underlying process is perceived to be below expectation. The rich young ruler in Mark chapter ten falls under this category because he had everything going for him positionally and financially but he was still not satisfied.This type of failure also keeps one running toward something or someone trying to find answers. The rich ruler came running to Jesus... because failure is having the things that one thinks will make them happy and not having the things that will actually make them happy. Failure is having a beautiful house...but a separated home,instead of a beautiful house and home. Failure is having success...but no joy peace and happiness that should go along with it. Failure (in an area not in our power to control) is having wealth without health to go along with it. Failure is having all of the above successes without Jesus...in fact Jesus says that a mans life does not consist in the abundance of things that he possesses.Failure is unanswered questions that never seem to get answered, leaving a person feeling incomplete. Failure is questions that "are" answered in a relevant way, but not adhered to...therefore keeping a person from reaching their full potential. Failure is failing to see what really matters in life and trusting in something that can be gone in a moments time... while ignoring what... and who will be there no matter what.How many people walk away from something or someone that they know is a vital part of their life while ignoring the emotions inside that are telling them they have made a mistake... and they live life full of regret because of it? Failure is the refusal to admit you were wrong in any situation because no relationship is worth losing over pride.Failure is the refusal to change directions if one is going in the wrong direction... only to find out later that what was needed at the time may no longer be available later. Many people want to change, but are unwilling to do the things that are necessary to change... and so they continue to live a life of failure. That old saying...someone's trash may be someone else's treasure can be seen in the saying that someone's failure may be another's success...for example... a parent try's to give their child valuable information that they have experienced (past failure) to keep their child from going down the same wrong path. Trusting in something or someone who is not trustworthy may prevent you from entering into something else that is...so what is one to do? unload all of the baggage... which may be separating from friends, or anyone else whose vision toward success contradicts yours.

Our gifts talents and abilities were given to us to fulfill our purpose in the earth and to make a difference in our life and the lives of others. So then failure is when a person fails to realize what they have been given to work with to empower their life and the lives of others. Our gifts make room for us and bring us before great men, but failure is when men try to make room for their own gift and will cheat trick and do anything else to further themselves. Gifts will elevate you...but only character can keep you in that place of elevation.Another failure factor is the misappropriation of time. The secret to your success will always be in what you do daily,so make every moment count and don't waste time.Have you ever noticed that when you are doing something that you love to do,that time is not an issue...well in the same way...use your gifts talents and abilities that God has given you and you may just find yourself further ahead in life than you could do without them. Failure is burying your talents and making excuses as to why you have done so because further down the road of life ...you just make look back with regrets. The talents mentioned in Matthew chapter twenty-five was actually money, and God gave one 5 talents and another 2 talents , and another 1 talent according to their ability to handle them. Our own gifts talents and abilities also equal money...there are people making large amounts of money by using their gifts of art, music, personality, acting, skill and numerous other abilities. Notice God gave the talents according to their several abilities which means he will never give you what you cannot handle. Failure then is taking on something that you do not have the gift talent or ability to handle and while engaging in that... missing out on what you do... have the gift talent and ability for.

The size of something or someone does not dictate its failure or success...in fact out of every other created being that could have been used to represent success...God uses a tiny ant, something that we would not even glance at. First of all the ant avoids failure because it does not become distracted with many other things which only lead to mediocre at best...but it focuses on and becomes proficient in one thing... and that is the task at hand. Second ...they hold themselves accountable for their own actions because they work without supervision and do not require another supervisor ant to follow them every second of the day (smile). Failure occurs when a person does not hold themselves accountable for their own actions...because in reality, no one can follow another every second...but the person holding themselves accountable can never leave themselves. Third ...the ant gathers its food in the summer which means it knows its most productive season to produce. For example... toy companies do most of their advertising close to the Christmas season which is their most productive season. This whole example is talking to the sluggard or lazy slothful people...so then failure begins with laziness. The ant also knows how to diversify its strength and unify as well as work alone which is to its advantage.