“God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it.” A.W. Tozer
Failure, it seems, has decided to befriend me in the best of ways; enjoying my company so much that it has decided to share itself with me even when I do not ask. How generous!
In all seriousness, I have come to terms with the amount of failures I have dealt with in the past, in that they are not viewed so much as failures but “learning experiences” for me. While I very much long to be out of the proverbial classroom, so to speak, it is with great diligence that I observe the surrounding elements each lesson has displayed. Sometimes it is difficult to walk away with nothing more than a valuable lesson. But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually wonderful to have knowledge few will ever possess. And, I trust there will be a day where this knowledge will be applied in the form of my own company/success and those who have stuck with me through these difficult times.
One of the best pieces of advice I have heard was from a mentor of mine, who stated: “Aaron, when you grow rich, do not do it alone. Instead, select a group of close friends who will go the distance with you and make them wealthy along with you, even if it costs you.” This makes perfect sense. What good is it to gain worldly wealth if there is nobody to enjoy it with? The same thing applies for the wealth of time and experiences we receive; good experiences are not meant to be had by only one person, but are best when others have the opportunity to join in with them.
Today, I received one of the greatest compliments I have ever received. It read “I think I know the goal for work in my life, definitely working for yourself. I think something we do…will pay off.”
There are many reminders of failure in my life, screaming to me that I have not come far enough in my pursuits, made enough (or any) money, or had enough human accomplishment. These voices are forced to be silenced when I am reminded my path ahead has not been created by me, nor are the steps and direction in my control. I am exactly where G-d wants me to be, doing exactly what He wants me to, and have as much money and responsibility as I am capable of handling at this moment.
I have been systematically been forced to mentally hand over the keys of every dream and ambition in my life. My mother told us the story of how her family went out for ice cream one fine afternoon. When her father asked what kind she wanted, she said “Vanilla” and went to sit down. Her siblings, however, said “Surprise me.” How do you think that turned out? She received her plain vanilla ice cream cone, while her siblings received grandiose frozen treats. How often do we do this with our Heavenly Father?
While driving, I realized there are many pet dreams in my life that must be handed over to Father. As silly as it sounds, I have always held in my heart that I would someday drive a Lamborghini. This was something where I had to hand over the mental keys, if you will. If I am someday “surprised” with a beat up Pinto, it will give more delight than driving a Gallardo that has not been submitted to the hands of G-d.
I would encourage you to think about your dreams in your life, especially that “hidden” dream you do not tell others. It may be a silent, crazy goal you are afraid to tell others for fear of being laughed at. Or, it may be something so large you do not know it is possible to achieve. In thinking about these, think about which you have not yet submitted to G-d. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this one.
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