The Dilemma Of Failure

Our failings as Christians is not always an intimation of God's absence in our lives nor is it an indication of God's displeasure in us. What do we do when we keep trying so hard at something we so much desire and want in all genuineness and honesty of heart and yet are constantly met with strong oppositions and stagnation that fails to yield the intended result?

In most instances, we have been taught that the anointing and grace domiciled in a believer is largely to ensure that whatever they want or imagine materializes without fail. The concepts of new creation realities like we term it instills within its listeners the motive that perpetuates the notion that if things aren’t going my way then possibly there must be something terribly amiss or wrong either with my confession or my faith.

The believer is made to make themselves the center of causal origin the moment they discover that somehow in some area of their lives things aren’t fully in tandem with their confessions, faith and desires. Paul's lament to the Thessalonian church in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 which reads; "Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" helps readers today to appreciate the fact that even the Apostle who we today attribute more than half of the New Testament content to at some point was under the immense stress of his own failings owing to the fact that he could not visit the church that he so loved at a time that he desired and wanted to. His own earlier conclusion was that Satan, his chief adversary, had maneuvered and found a way to hinder him from taking this missionary journey at the time he intended to not just once but many consecutive times.

I know in this part of the world where we engage intensely in what we call warfare prayers, this would be a perfect canvas to develop a stunningly fiery prayer point against enemies who hinder and obstruct us both seen and unseen. As a matter of fact , without jumping the gun most people employ this particular text in this direction. But if you ask me, beyond some prayer point or nugget, there are much deeper truths to be gleaned from the text that we must endeavor to consider contextually. Just like Pauls conundrum there are many things as Christians regardless of how endowed we are that will not materialize just because we desire it, want it or even need it.There are going to be times when our constant knocking and pressing will fail to yield the result we so rightfully believe and think we desire and deserve. At some point, it would almost feel just like in Paul's case that satan himself might just have taken first class interest in your case. The temptation is so rife for bystanders to assume that one’s faith or confession might just have hit rock bottom. Some may even go to the extent of making a determination that God is no longer with you.

We must learn to realize that as mortal men subjected to the demands of chronological timing there’s only very little we can perceive within the vista of God's eternal plans for us with His own sovereignty being the fulcrum of everything else that exists. Our inability to prevail in one adventure or endeavor is not always a question of what we could have done better or right but even more so most importantly a question of what does God really want in this situation. When we understand this we will not beat ourselves up unnecessarily anytime things don’t go our way. Because under such a situation, we would have understood that our anointing and spiritual endowments no matter how complex and unique they appear to be do not have the requisite power and authority to reconfigure the very nature of God's sovereign authority and what He wills.Simply put we can’t seduce God into bending His authority and sovereignty just because He loves us. What He wants is what He wants. Comprehending this helps the Christian to deal properly in moments were it appears as though nothing seems to work or go exactly our way especially when we have done everything we know well to do.

Paul eventually after several attempts to reach the Thessalonian community of believers finally decided to send his co laborer Timothy who successfully accomplished the work that Paul entrusted to him by relaying the report from the the Thessalonian church of their ever growing faith( 1 Thessalonians 3:6 ) Paul found another way. He did not sob and cry over what he couldn’t do but found another way that became possible to do what he wanted to do. Sometimes opposition is only an intimation of God's redirection for our lives. Be determined not to allow failings at any given time to make you stagnant and stale, keep moving!