What is failure?
Merriam Webster dictionary defines failure as an omission of occurrence or performance, a lack of success, or falling short.
But when you look at the definition of “lack of success,” who gets to define what success is?
Everyone’s definition of success is going to look different.
The world tells us success is having lots of money, the house, the happy family, and in the social media space success is having the biggest platform with the most followers.
I must admit for a long time my definition of success looked like what the world said it should look like. I was chasing all the things- lots of money, the “happy family,” and then when I started my first business, I was trying to do all the things that the “gurus” said I should do so that I could attain “success.”
However, in the last few years, God has radically shifted my perspective when it comes to success and failure.
Years ago, I attended a women’s conference, and I will never forget what one of the speakers said…
“Obedience is my responsibility, everything else is God’s responsibility.”
When she said it, that thing hit me in my spirit because I had been living like EVERYTHING was my responsibility. How about you? Do you live like EVERYTHING is on you?
That’s a heavy burden to carry especially when you believe that the success of a thing is dependent on you.
Because often when things don’t go the way we want, then we believe we failed and then it’s easy to start viewing ourselves as failures.
But think about Moses when God told him to go to Pharoah and tell him to let his people go. It was clear this was God telling Moses to do this, so we believe if God tells us to do something, it has to turn out successful.
Yet, how many times did Moses have to keep going back to Pharoah because he refused to let the people go.
What if that first time Pharoah refused, Moses saw it as a failed mission…
We often find ourselves easily discouraged because we believe we received a word from God, but when it doesn’t go as planned that first time, we start questioning did we really hear God.
If we look at all the examples in the Bible, we have several examples of people who God told to do something, and things didn’t end up looking like a “success” by the world’s standards.
But if you did what God told you to do then is that not “success?”
For me success is now simply being obedient to what I believe God is telling me to do.
This mindset shift has changed everything for me, and I no longer get distracted by worrying about how something is going to turn out.
If you can get this and change your perspective to live a life that is focused on being obedient and trusting God with the outcome, you will no longer fear nor run from failure.
Of course, we want the things that we do to go well, but we have no control over how things will turn out. We show up, we do the work, we pray, we do all that we are capable of doing, but then we have to stand back and trust God to do the things we cannot do.
God wants to know that we trust Him, and that we love the Giver more than we love the gifts.
God is also doing all He can to save us, to grow us up, and teach us how to be unshakable even in what may seem like the worst situation.
The marriage ended in divorce.
The friends walked away.
The business ended in bankruptcy.
All of these circumstances are painful to go through and God does not always deliver us from going through, but He’s such a good God that although He may not stop the disappointment, He will be with us through it all.
We don’t have to fear nor run from failure, because if you did what God told you to do, you were successful.
So, don’t worry if the book will sell, did God tell you to write it?
Don’t worry if the business will ever be in the black, did God tell you to start it?
Don’t worry if your kids go on to stray from everything you taught them, did you raise them the way God told you to?
When we are obedient to what God tells us to do, there are blessings that come with obedience.
The blessings may not look the way you expected them to look, but that doesn’t make them any less worthy of being grateful for.
It could be one person; God is trying to save through you writing that book…it doesn’t have to be a bestseller to be a success.
Your faith to start that business could inspire others to do what God has been telling them to do…it’s not all about the money you bring in.
Your ability to show God’s love to your children even when they go against everything you taught them could be the thing that draws them back one day like the prodigal son.
There is no real failure when we are letting God lead us. This is why we are told to walk by faith and not by sight. God’s ways are not our ways, and He also uses the foolish things to confound the wise.
So, if you are ready to be free from worrying about how things will turn out, focus on obedience, stop running from failure, and trust God with the outcome.
