failure

2 Chronicles 24 – Success or Failure?

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Go to any bookstore, browse the business and leadership section, and you’ll find many books that supposedly contain the secrets of success. People want to know the steps, the formulas, and the ingredients that will make them successful.

In 2 Chronicles chapter 24, you find one man’s story of success and failure. Joash is the seven-year-old boy-king whom Jehoiada the priest had hidden as an infant to protect him from assassination. He becomes a very successful ruler by engaging in three specific behaviors.

  • First, he focused on what mattered most…the presence and glory of God.
  • Second, he persistently planned and worked toward what mattered most.
  • Third, he had people in his life who were dedicated to what mattered most.

The right focus, the right effort, and the right influences led to Joash’s success.

But when Joash changed his focus, his efforts, and his influences, he became a great failure. To the point that his life fell apart and his people turned on him. (1 Chron. 24:17-23)

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What is my focus?
  • How do I spend my efforts?
  • Who are the people influencing me?

Honestly answering these questions will quickly reveal why your life is going in the direction it’s going. Don’t make the mistake that Joash made. Keep your focus, efforts, and influences on what matters most. The presence and glory of God.

2 Chronicles 14-16 – What Happened?!

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Every once in a while you come across a story of a former celebrity whose life is in shambles. Maybe they’re in trouble with the law, or they’ve filed for bankruptcy, or they’ve taken their own life. And you ask yourself, “What happened?”

That’s the type of story you find in 2 Chronicles chapters 14-16. It begins with King Asa living a blessed life. He is a faithful leader who’s committed to God and to his people. The nation is both peaceful and fortified. It was a golden age.

But, by the end of 2 Chronicles chapter 16, the country is plagued with war, the priests and the people are oppressed, and the king is plagued with a foot disease that eventually kills him. What happened?!

What happened was that king Asa stopped doing the one thing that had brought him and his country such success. He stopped depending on God. Instead, Asa started trusting himself and a foreign king.

Over the 25 years between his first battle and his last, Asa forgot the victories that came through trusting God alone. The years of success caused Asa to become complacent and arrogant. Twenty-five years of peace left him unprepared for king Baasha’s attack.

This failure to depend on God leads Asa to become angry. And rather than repenting, Asa begins to oppress the priests and the people. He eventually contracts a foot disease that takes his life. Asa stopped depending on God and it literally became the death of him.

If it happened to Asa, it could happen to you. What keeps you from depending on God? Fear? Pride? Complacency? Whatever it is, it’s killing you in every way. Life and success are found in trusting in and depending on God.

1 Chronicles 15 – How do You Handle Mistakes?

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No one likes making mistakes, but we all make them. So the key is in how you respond to your mistakes.

Some attempt to avoid mistakes by never attempting anything new or different. Others act as if the mistake is no big deal and proceed on the same path. Neither of these responses works well. The first is unproductive and the second is unwise.

But there is a third way to respond to mistakes that’s both productive and wise, and that’s to learn from your mistake and make the appropriate adjustments.This was David’s response in 1 Chronicles chapter 15, with regards to moving the Ark of the Covenant. In 1 Chronicles chapter 13, David didn’t stop to consider how God wanted the Ark moved, and it cost a man his life. (1 Chron. 13:9-10)

Though David didn’t disregard the mistake and continue moving the Ark, he did try to avoid further mistakes by just not taking any more action.

But, in 1 Chronicles chapter 15, David learns from his mistake and makes the appropriate adjustments. He acknowledges God’s sovereignty, asks for God’s direction, and aligns himself with those instructions. The result was not only success but joy and celebration.

How do you handle your mistakes? Do you (1) back away from doing anything so you don’t make a mistake, (2) ignore the mistake and keep moving forward, or (3) survey the situation, search out God, and seek to learn from your mistake? (Hint…the prize is behind door #3)

Fear of Failure?

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Refused to accept failureWe all want to be successful, whether it’s in business, raising kids, or marriage.  We often hesitate to do something if we’re not sure it’s the “right” thing to do, because we equate unsuccessful attempts with failure.

When you equate unsuccessful attempts with failure, then you play it safe. You shy way from trying new and different things so as to not fail. The end result is that your life and your options become more constricted and you become less free.

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