YCCM PART Chapter THE GREY ZONE Part Two: FAILURE?

YCCM PART 

Chapter 

THE GREY ZONE

Part Two: FAILURE? 

My Brothers and Sisters,

Don't count yourself out because you have made mistakes and failed to please and follow God; or, perhaps, you found yourself giving up or being depressed, losing faith and trust in God. Your circumstances may seem to be just too overwhelming and you're tired of trying. Self just keeps getting in the way.

Earnestly REPENT, surrendering your will, realizing that through Christ Jesus, the author and finisher of our growing faith, God gives us a renewed and changed mind that resist and turns away from sin; not by our own power and might, but by the power of God's Holy Spirit, who abides in us.

Re-purpose your thoughts and efforts to positive ideas and Heavenly things, determined to keep your eyes on Jesus, the Word of God. Reposition the direction of your life and praise God for each new chance to succeed. Easier said than done? Keep trying; for as in God's eyes, each new day He gives you proves His love for you and your worthiness of another chance.

 SEEING YOURSELF WITH GOD'S EYES

No one likes to prepare for failure in life, so, this is where you must allow God to renew your mind. Always remember that God never fails and with Him, you cannot fail!  

When things go awry and you feel like you have failed, it is time to stand on God's promises. He has promised never to leave you alone. He has promised to give you eternal and abundant life, but first He must prepare and strengthen you.

You are in training not because God wants to show you how weak and sinful you are, but because He is showing you the pitfalls of life and teaching you to be watchful; how to conquer the world and darkness; how to rest and abide in Jesus; how to be a disciple--followers who lead others to Christ; how to be a servant and vessel to  help others; how to listen and obey His voice; how to have joy through your pain and sorrow; how to see with His eyes; how to have Godly relationships; how to resist the devil and shed chains of bondage; and how to feed upon His Word to remain nourished and strong.

God will be your all-in-all as He prepares you for this life and the life to come. Prepare yourself, not for your next failure, but for your next reassessment and growth spurt, knowing that God hasn't given up on you. He has made you and he knows your potential and who you can become, if you surrender all and learn to trust and obey.

FINDING YOUR STRENGTH

God knows your past failures and weaknesses. He knows that just as you have failed in the past, you are capable of succeeding now and in the future. That is why He offers Himself to you. He is waiting for you to discover that in every instance, in every trial, and throughout each and every day...He is your Strength--your Rock--your Fortress! With Him, you are assured of success. However, with any training, you must be willing to put in the time and effort. Your level of success depends on your amount of faith in God. As you overcome obstacles, your faith is ever increasing.

LET EVERYTHING YOU DO BE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

With success and achievement come man's tendency to be prideful and overconfident. God will keep you humbled! Be mindful! God will keep you humbled! He will show you that every victory and accomplishment is by His power and might. Therefore, God allows you to be challenged, tempted, tested, discredited, disqualified, chastised, lied on, humiliated, grieved, robbed, taken down a notch or two or stripped naked, until you come to completely trust and lean on Him, giving Him all the glory and praise.

Yes, your soul must be watchful and ever on it's guard for "ten thousand foes arise, and hosts of sins are pressing hard to draw (you) from the skies." (Note 1)

Friends, family and the world may look at you as having failed and as being a slave to sin. The world doesn't want you to forget who you were. It sees the flesh.  It is quick to pass judgement because of what they see on the outside. Your response to this is crucial to your growth and walk with God.

ONLY GOD CAN FINISH THE WORK HE HAS BEGUN

You have learned to respond to negative behaviors and your responses have been negative. There are many things that must be unlearned in order to teach you to ABIDE in Christ and have positive  and successful behaviors. These things weren't learned overnight, therefore, they won't be unlearned overnight. Rest assured, God has a plan to fix them. God' s plan for your life requires your focus on Him and your participation.

Giving up will assure you of failure. Giving all your mistakes and weaknesses to God and allowing Him to mold you, no matter how painful, no matter what others are accusing you of or saying about you is your first step to reaching the victory God already has proclaimed for you.

A CALL TO HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Come out of self and live for Him! Those who are trapped in the Grey Zone of vanity and self-love, idolatry, hatred and mistreatment of your neighbors, materialism, perversion, gambling, homosexuality, adultery, malicious gossip and jealousy, spreading lies and slander, violence, neglect and abuse, judgment and persecution, drugs, alcohol and self-medicating and all manner of sin that is self-destructive and unpleasing to God. Come out of self and live for Jehovah God in Holiness and Righteous. This is the true victory!

By the Grace and Mercy of God
Your humbled servant,
Mishael


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SELF REFLECTION: A Look in the Mirror

Once again, when we look at Jesus' parables, He is challenging us to examine where our heart lies. Closely examining your heart, answer the questions below.

DISCUSS your answers with a mature Believer who can guide you in your spiritual relationship with Jesus and our Father, and/or have group discussions to learn from those who have different experiences and perspectives.

QUESTIONS: Write down your questions and discuss them with a mature Believer or submit them to this blog.

1. 
   

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NOTES

(1) My Soul, Be on Thy Guard
George Heath, pub.1781 alt.
Sources:

Hymnary.org (http://www.hymnary.org/text/my_soul_be_on_thy_guard);

Faith Publishing House, Evening Light Songs, 1949, edited 1987 (302);

The Gospel Trumpet Company, Select Hymns, 1911 (556)

1. My soul, be on thy guard,
   Ten thousand foes arise,
   And hosts of sin are pressing hard
   To draw thee from the skies.
2. Oh, watch, and fight, and pray,
   The battle ne’er give o’er,
   Renew it boldly every day,
   And help divine implore.
3. Ne’er think the vict’ry won,
   Nor once at ease sit down;
   Thine arduous work will not be done
   Till thou hast got the crown.
4. Fight on, my soul, till death
   Shall bring thee to thy God;
   He’ll take thee at thy parting breath
   Up to His blest abode.