Failure is not fatal...

I have been joking with people lately about why in the world God would allow me to have 3 children and one on the way if He knew I have absolutely no wisdom in raising children. I asked the same thing a few years ago when my husband and I were struggling in our marriage. Why didn't God show me everything I needed to know before marriage. Now don't get me wrong I know most of my lack of knowledge is because I so proud that I thought I knew EVERYTHING. WOW. WOW. My Preacher says something to the effect of "The older I get the more I see that I really don't know anything." Isn't that the truth.

I have had a lot of friends lately talk to me about their own struggles in marriage. Some have said they just don't know what to do and they think the situation is hopeless. Really I do know how you feel. BUT, I'm starting to see that God allows us to fail in anything we do because that is the only time we will run to him and say we don't know what we are doing and we need His WISDOM. Think about it. Where do you run for advice before things get really bad? Me, 1st the Internet, 2nd a TV show, 3rd a book or magazine. And, some of these things MIGHT sometimes have a good tidbit here or there of advice, but that's it. OH, YEAH the big one. Our Girlfriends, Moms, Sisters, the lady at walmart... And, again some of the people in our life MIGHT really be Godly council. BUT, from where do we need to seek WISDOM and GUIDANCE? You already know... God's word and Prayer, but WHY are these always last resorts?

The Bible is filled with TRUTH for every situation... It is amazing that when we ask God He really does begin to give us wisdom liberally just like James says. I mean I have been reading stuff lately that I have read 1000 times and just now I'm gleaning parenting truths from passages that before I didn't even know could be applied to parenting. It is ridiculous now that I look back as ALL the things I have TRIED and now after just asking for God to give me wisdom He begins to show me all these wonderful TRUTHS. Not that I have arrived. Far from it. Just like in marriage. I thought that I knew what I was doing after God showed me from His word. BUT, God is showing me over and over and over how I have to be connected to the Vine and that I have to be walking in the Spirit. Carnal minds cannot understand Spiritual things. And no matter how far I think I have come my mind is very carnal and my heart deceitfully wicked.

Back to the topic at hand. I am so thankful that with God what He says is true. "AND WE KNOW that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are called according to HIS purpose." Who would have thought that my failures would bring for the righteousness of God?!?!?! Don't let your failure keep you down. I'm so thankful that David says in Psalms that GOD remembers that we are just dirt. Can you believe He takes dirt and make sons and daughters out of it?! Is my God amazing or WHAT?!

But, now to the hard part. Now that we know that failure is not fatal we have to have GRACE upon others. We have to allow our children to fail. We have to allow our spouses to fail. We have to allow our Spiritual leaders to fail. We all know the saying "People learn from their mistakes!" Let's give eachother a break and allow our failures to make us better. Give ourselves a break and don't allow our failures to hold us back. Let our failures show us just where God can give us wisdom and knowledge. To God be the Glory for our failures and successes. IF WE GLORY LET IT BE IN CHRIST JESUS...