Read Psalm 71:1-6
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.
Reflect
· How do you handle failure?
· Are you willing to trust God and allow Him to turn a stinging flop into a souring success?
· Are you able to forget your imperfect past and look to the future with hope?
A.W. Tozer wrote, "No man is worthy to succeed until he is willing to fail." Often the moments in life that truly mold our character are those filled with embarrassing flops and fumbles, not shining triumphs. And the key to survival--and ultimately success--is faith. Tozer explains it this way: "God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it."
It's all about attitude. You can strive to be a winner if you maintain a positive mindset and a heart that's faithful to God, regardless of your circumstances. Life is full of choices. If you choose to believe that you're a failure, and get stuck in this sort of mindset, then that's probably how you'll turn out. But if you choose to handle adversity with the right attitude--if you strive to grow from failure--then you'll ultimately be a winner.
Pray
Lord, I want to come to You truthfully, as I really am, flaws and all. Help me to grow from failure--not get stuck in it. Amen.