Failing

[WhiteKnuckle]

Normally I'm the one that tries to encourage people to keep trying.

I've been looking at things lately and I don't seem to have any success at any of my endeavors. No matter how hard I work, no matter how hard I try or for how long, it seems that I just can't move forward.

Most of the time It seems I almost accomplish my goal and then everything crumbles apart near the finishline.

This seems to happen with everything,,,,,, Work, music, training, art, you name it. I seem to get just mediocre and go nowhere, or something bad happens and it all falls apart.

So, a good question here is,,,,,

How do you know if God just doesn't want you to do anything?

 

[aspen]

Normally I'm the one that tries to encourage people to keep trying.

I've been looking at things lately and I don't seem to have any success at any of my endeavors. No matter how hard I work, no matter how hard I try or for how long, it seems that I just can't move forward.

Most of the time It seems I almost accomplish my goal and then everything crumbles apart near the finishline.

This seems to happen with everything,,,,,, Work, music, training, art, you name it. I seem to get just mediocre and go nowhere, or something bad happens and it all falls apart.

So, a good question here is,,,,,

How do you know if God just doesn't want you to do anything?

God is good and He wants us to be healthy and happy and to submit our hearts to His sanctification. Like the parable of the talents, God calls us to invest our treasures rather than bury them. This being said, it doesn't mean it is going to be easy just because Christ wants us to do it. Do you think you might be dealing with some depression? Sometimes the holiday season can bring up issues we have not dealt with from the past. When I get depressed I often change up my prayer to simply listening to God in silence - I have noticed that God has blessed me during these hard times, but I usually notice when I look back on them.

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

It is a little depressing looking at it,,,,, However depression isn't a problem.

I'm just trying to find out how far to continue with anything. How do you know if God wants you to accomplish something? Yes, if He wants you to you will succeed,, but, at what point is failure a message from God saying,, "Nah,, you're not gonna do that." ?

 

[bigape]

Hello WhiteKnuckle

This kind of honesty is GREAT!
(It will take you far, with the Lord.)

You said.......

“I've been looking at things lately and I don't seem to have any success at any of my endeavors. No matter how hard I work, no matter how hard I try or for how long, it seems that I just can't move forward.”

“Success”, is one of those loaded terms.
What I mean is, how can we determine if we are a success at something?

A pastor might think that success is determined by counting nickels and noses, but this is not the case.

In some cases, having a big Church, actually means that you are failing.........
Luke 6:26
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
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The bottom line for a Christian determining if they are a success, is if they are in the center of God’s will for their life.

Above all, we should strive for this “place”; And it’s not really that hard to find.
Simply stop “doing” everything, unless the Lord is telling you to do it.
(While daily praying about it all the time.)

And if you happen to stop(or plan to stop), doing something, that the Lord wants you to do, than “He will let you know”..........
Colossians 3:15
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

This “peace of God”, is having “God’s peace” in our heart, and it is unmistakable.
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Next you said......

“Most of the time It seems I almost accomplish my goal and then everything crumbles apart near the finishline.”

This may be something else. This could be the Lord testing your resolve.
(A test of your faith.)

This happens to all of us some times and God’s instructions is to keep on going.....
Galatians 6:9
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

That is, as long as you have His peace about it.
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You continued.......

“This seems to happen with everything,,,,,, Work, music, training, art, you name it. I seem to get just mediocre and go nowhere, or something bad happens and it all falls apart.”

Who is to judge, if something is “mediocre”?

If this conclusion is coming from ourselves, that’s one thing, but if it is coming from others, “who cares”.

Sometimes Satan will try to discourage us, by convincing us that we are doing a bad job.
If the Lord tells you to do it, then gives you His peace about it, then that is all we need to do.
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Finally you ask........

“So, a good question here is,,,,,
How do you know if God just doesn't want you to do anything?”

If your born again, than you’re His and He has plans for you.
But His plans for us might be in the future, so we need patience.

My advice, is to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, then PRAY some more.
While you are waiting for a word from the Lord!

 

[aspen]

It is a little depressing looking at it,,,,, However depression isn't a problem.

I'm just trying to find out how far to continue with anything. How do you know if God wants you to accomplish something? Yes, if He wants you to you will succeed,, but, at what point is failure a message from God saying,, "Nah,, you're not gonna do that." ?

Ah, I got it. That is a tough question and like Bigape, I think it is great that you are choosing to struggle with it. Boiling it down, I think the underlying question is, what is God's Will? First, I think it takes a lifetime of struggling to figure that question out, when it comes to the big picture, but on a smaller level like, should I finish school? or should I continue to follow a specific path even when I am not experiencing success has a more immediate answer.

I think God is most concerned with sanctifying your heart and providing the right environment for you to practice your sanctification (loving God and neighbor). So, all the activities you are involved in need to be evaluated in this light - are the activities / path / job / school program / etc providing me the best opportunity to practice my sanctification? If the answer is no - maybe the stress of the situation is hardening your heart or the activity you are engaged in is isolating you from your neighbor - you might want to make some changes.

The outcome of an activity or course in life is not what God is looking at - He is looking at the progress you are making in loving.

Here is a story involving St. Francis I posted awhile ago:

One day St. Francis asked God; 'What can I do to know you better?
God responded 'as much effort as it takes for you to make the sun rise every morning'
St. Francis sighs and says 'So, why am I killing myself preaching and teaching and praying?'
God said 'so you will be awake when the sun rises'

It is the participation that is the exercise of our sanctification, not the outcome.

 

[mjrhealth]

Its hard, but you cant blame God for your failures. the devil might like to see you fail so that you will blame it all on God. We measure our success by what we achieve, because its all our own work and it pleses the flesh. I guess God measures our sucess by how well we stand when the world seems to be against us. I used to blame God for lots of things, but in the end it was just the devil trying to destroy my faith in the one who LOves me, or my lazyness or lack of understanding. I dont need to be succesful in thsi world for my succes is when I get to be with God, and if that is all I achieve then I am happy.

In His Love

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

One thing, I never "blamed" God for any failure real or percieved.

I appreciate all of you replying.

As I was lamenting on this subject, I still never came up with any real answer as to how to know if God is blessing you with "success", or stopping you from doing something.

However,,,, If I am "fearfully and wonderfully made", the ability to try something and have ideas is a success all in it's own. For some reason I guess I based my opinion of success on money. That's an obviously wrong assumption to make towards whether one is a success or not. For some reason I pictured an African crafts man making jewlery or paintings, no money, but still surviving. Why does he paint or craft? BECAUSE HE CAN!

Apparently we are always going to be our own worse critics. As long as I'm happy doing the things I do, then I guess succeeding is subjective.

Many people feel the frustrations of not succeeding, or not being very good. Many muscians, artists and writers often feel they completely miss the mark.

I have a habit of trying more complecated things and things that can take a lifetime to master. If my life is still young, I still have time and still haven't exactly failed. Apparently there's a variable that's not always seen in the complications of regular life that go along with extracurricular life and the amount of time and ambition a person has to devote to one or the other. With the number of interests I have and amount of skill it takes to become great at it, I should feel blessed that I can do either of them remotely close to apt. I should feel blessed that I have the ability to chose and to try different things if only for pure enjoyment or exercising the body and mind.

I guess most of all, what I've learned is, Failure is a direct result of trying. Trying is something most people don't do. If I wasn't up to the challenges then I wouldn't be trying. Lord knows I don't want easy, I've never taken the "Easy A".

 

[aspen]

God's will is found in everyday life - routine chores, going to work, going to school, cleaning up, doing laundry. It is deceptive because we are always given the message that God has something grand in mind for us - he does, but the grand plan is built one dish, and one homework assignment at a time. It is not the Devil that is in the details - it is God. All the routine stuff allows us to serve others in the way God calls us to serve - practicing our sanctification.