Failure: the Back Door to Success by Erwin W. Lutzer

Author:Erwin W. Lutzer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2015-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

GOD’S SPECIFIC DIRECTION

But what about other choices that involve God’s will, those that are not mentioned in the Bible? Obviously, Scripture cannot tell us whether we should become missionaries to another country or whether we should go to college. Each of us makes a host of such decisions daily. How do we determine God’s will in these matters?

The formula is quite simple. If we are obedient in the plan God has revealed, He is obligated to guide us in decisions that are unrevealed. If we houseclean our attitudes, values, and desires, if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, these other matters will be added unto us.

God has an indefinite number of ways to block us if we are going the wrong way and to create opportunities if we are going the right way. For example, He guides us by the advice of others and the desires He puts within us.

What about Brian and his wife described in chapter 1? They failed as missionaries. Is God finished with them? No. God can use their failure to teach them lessons on faith and acceptance. They can still do the will of God! By accepting their failure and giving God their future, they can be both blessed and a blessing to others.

What about the woman who married an unbeliever? If she accepts God’s forgiveness and seeks His will, she will experience God’s guidance. In fact, I’ve known many Christians in similar circumstances who have done just that. If we are obedient to God’s Word, He is faithful to guide us in the mundane experiences of life.

But the hard part is this: we have to confess and forsake our sins. After David sinned with Bathsheba, his fellowship with God was repaired only when he admitted his guilt—with all of its implications. He realized that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

One day some ink was accidentally spilled onto a beautiful and expensive handkerchief. The mess was observed by an artist who decided to make the best of the situation. So he drew a picture on the cloth and used the blotch of ink as part of the scenery. God is well equipped to do that for us, if we are prepared to let Him. The cost? A broken and a contrite heart.

It is never too late to do God’s will. Failures of the past sometimes curtail our ministry, but they need not poison our attitude. The past cannot be changed, but our response to it can be. If we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will yet direct our paths!

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