I Feel like I Fail. Much more than I would like; much more than I would like to admit. Failure is based upon our perception of success. Running a mile and a half in fifteen minutes would be a success if you were taking a standard United States Air Force fitness test a few years ago. It would have been a dismal failure if you happened to be in the US Army. The difference is perception and expectation. The Army’s expectation is much faster than that of the Air Force and because of that the perception of success is different.
The Bible gives us a perspective of the Holy God of the universe which is both shallow and comprehensive at the same time. Reading through the entire Bible is a labor of love some people only do once in their lifetime. Others read it through once each year and still fewer read it several times each year. It is easy to comprehend how the latter group would have a different understanding of the things they had read many times. It is understandable that they who had read the most times had perceived different gleanings from the same book which the others read. And more important it is easy to know why they would have a greater expectation each time they read it.
It is not a failure to run the race; many run. It is not a failure to not be the fastest. It is not a failure because the expectation is to finish the race. The first time an individual enters a race it is unlikely they possess the training and skill and experience to be the fastest and most enduring runner. We know from all we have tried and experienced that it takes practice and training and coaching and strengthening to achieve the right results and be first in the race. But being first, being fast, being best is not winning the race. All that takes is proper training and determination mixed with a little genetic provision.
To live in this life is to win a race millions of aborted and miscarried children can never run. To know your parents as gentle loving caring nurturing people is a victory many abandoned and orphaned children cannot know. To be educated in schools and fed sufficiently so you never experience illiteracy or starvation is a luxury millions of the worlds children will never experience. To be taught from God’s Holy Word, the Bible, that He loves you and gave His only Son to die in your place as the price of the penalty for your sins so you might go to heaven after this life is a treasure larger than billions of the world’s people can imagine. And all you have to do is choose to believe Him. To know the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus the Christ, as your personal Savior is a triumph in the race of life most of the world will never accomplish.
So pick your perspective. Pick your expectation. Choose the race you want to run in. Then know and understand by the grace of God and His provision, if you run, you Can Not fail. You can only choose or not choose. You can only run the race He has given you and believe He has given you this victory; Or you can choose not to run, not to be in the race at all.
And that would be a real fail.