Failure prepares us for victory

"People succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I find it interesting that we live in a culture where 'failure' is frowned upon. We expect to get everything right and to be perfect all the time. Not only is this unrealistic, but it is also very narrow-minded. Life is full of 'mistakes' that led to amazing inventions or success stories. So, why are we so afraid of failure?

I was reminded of a number of Biblical heroes, each of whom FAILED at one point in their lives, yet was used in a mighty way for God.

Moses
David
Gideon
Paul
Peter

Remember that even Jesus' death on the cross was deemed to be a failure by some people.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Collection of Wise Words

As we move deeper into the book of Proverbs we find a larger number of sayings for everyday life. I find it fascinating that although we are living in 2020, many of these pearls of wisdom still apply to our context. That is very impressive for being nearly 3000 years old.

Here is a collection of a few of these from chapter 10.

"Good people are remembered long after they are gone,
    but the wicked are soon forgotten.
If you have good sense, you will listen and obey;
    if all you do is talk, you will destroy yourself." - v.7-8

"Deceit causes trouble, and foolish talk
    will bring you to ruin." - v.10

" Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs
    that others do." - v.12

"Honest people speak sensibly, but deceitful liars    will be silenced." - v.31

May these words offer you some wisdom in your own life today.

"Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Living in Grace
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It takes Courage

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

There is so much truth in this single quote. Whatever you and I choose to do in LIFE we are going to need COURAGE to get it done. This applies especially to the most important things in our lives.
Even following Jesus takes Courage. We may be living in communities where it is easier to say we are Christians, but many followers of Jesus need huge courage just to confess their faith.

Whatever you are facing today, may God give you courage.

Acts 4:13 - When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Living in Grace
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More than that ...

When Ralph Emerson was asked to give some lectures on influential men in society, he spoke on the Representative Men - which was a list of 6 people that influenced the world. In his list, he included people like Plato, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, but he did not include Jesus. When he was asked about this his reply was very simple:
"Jesus was not just a man!"

And how right he was. Jesus was born of human flesh and blood, but he was so much more than a human being - He was and is the SON of God.

Mark 15:39 - "And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Living in Grace
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Our Youth need new Heroes

Our young people need new heroes! One of the reasons so many young people are getting caught up in this '#feesmustfall' campaign is because they have been let done by their leaders and heroes. People are searching for a cause to believe in and are looking for a new sense of leadership. I am not sure where this leadership is going to come from as the 'bottom of the barrell' is staring at us in the face, but perhaps Christopher Reeve's quote offers us some direction in looking for a Hero:

"...a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." - Christopher Reeve

We need ordinary men and women to stand up and to offer leadership in the midst of these troubled times. Sadly, our leaders aren't able to offer us the direction we seek, so we may just need to look for new heroes.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero_2.html

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero_2.html

Living in Grace
D3LM3

P.S. - In response to the student protests happening all over the South Africa campuses, I need to state that I am anti-violence. I believe that ever person has the right to be heard, but as soon as protests become violent, then I am less likely to listen to the 'reasons' for the protest. As a Christ-follower, I need to look to Jesus as my role model. It was possible for Jesus and his disciples to start a Revolution, not through violence, but through Love.