Failure is not fatal or permanent, quitting is.
So I’m a child of the eighties as you may have gathered from my last post. I grew up on Nintendo, Cap’n Crunch, Rubik’s cube, checkered Vans, Sundeck board shorts… yeah the whole shabang. One eighties movie that stands out in mind as I was thinking of this post is “Top Gun.” Yeah that’s right “Top Gun” was the movie with the two super cool fighter pilots and their drive to make it to the top; a feel good movie by all rights but there is one part that brings us all down. Goose. The part where Goose goes into a flat spin and crashes and burns. We loved the character Goose and were all sad when it happened. He was like our friend that we felt like we knew, so when he died in the movie we all were pretty bummed. I actually remember as a kid, people crying when Goose died! It’s just a movie people! Get a grip! It’s not real life…. the actor who played Goose was still alive at the movie premiere… relax.
One thing that is real though… crash and burn moments.
We’ve all had those moments in life when we’ve crashed and burned. Some more major than others. Some of us maybe mouthed off to our boss once too many times and got fired, maybe some have seen the crash and burn of a marriage, some of us have experienced the crash and burn of a dream; regardless of your crash and burn moment the one thing I know from experience is that failure is not fatal, final, or permanent, quitting is. The only way we actually lose in life is when we give up. If you wake up one more day, pray one more prayer, breath one more breath, dream one more dream, hope one more time…. then you are living. You have not given up hope. God is the God of hope, He is the God of new beginnings.
One thing that the Holy Spirit keeps prodding me about is the city I currently live in, Phoenix. Just the name itself has prophetic overtones for my life and maybe yours as well. From early Christianity and mythology the phoenix has been a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. It’s been a legend that has inspired people for generations because generations before us have failed. We are not alone. Many people before us have had crash and burn moments. Those moments don’t define us as people only what we do with those moments will. I’ve experienced probably the worst crash and burn moment of my life but from what I know about the phoenix is that it rises from the ashes. It’s gets up from the fire that tried to destroy it and is more powerful and victorious than ever. I was in church a few weeks ago and our worship pastor started singing a spontaneous chorus that lit me up! It went like this, “You will come through the fire and you won’t even smell like smoke!” That is our God! That is what He wants to do with our failure. He leaves it in the fire and when we come out we won’t even smell like the failure that tried to define us!
You need to hear this. This is your moment of being reborn into the calling, purpose, and destiny he has designed you for. Don’t shrink back, don’t allow others to try and define you. This is your time to walk through the fire, allow to burn off what it needs to and then rise from the ashes. Oh and as a reminder… you won’t even smell like smoke.
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Please leave your thoughts if you feel led and let’s continue the conversation! May God bless you!
That’s a MOST insightful and AWESOME WORD! I am reminded of the Great Love of the Father to bring Beauty from ashes! Thank you God Bless you.
Thanks Elizabeth! God bless you!
I think that a lot of people struggle with this concept. I know I have for a majority of my life. People relive their past; things that have broken then, destroyed then, and impacted them in a negative way. Jesus forgives us and forgets! That’s his promise to us! If we believe his promise to us, why do we continue to live in the past? It’s satan’s way of trying to tear us down! If we are in God’s word daily, and use this weapon to fight off satan and his demons, then no one can be against us! No one can make us feel worthless or remind us of our past! We need to wake up people! Forgive yourself and shine for Jesus!
Great word Alyssa!
Wow….I felt like this message was specifically for me. Thanks for sharing God’s word with me. I’ve struggled for some time trying to pick up the pieces from a life I never expected, trying to find clarity in it all. You have just reminded me of the love our Father has for me and how he’s in complete control. This is a reminder that I have to push forward and continue to trust he is in total control.
So good Brandy! Glad it helped!
It’s always such a blessing to see God working in your life and to watch His restoration at work in you. I hide these things in my heart and I rejoice with His angels over you. You call Him Father and He calls you son. Thank you for your willingness to be transparent in obedience to His call for humble honesty. As always, your Momma loves you.
Thanks Mom!
Thank You So Much Sir for the Insight into the realities of life. Challenges that come are bread for a Son of God this is why we welcome them. John 16: 33- These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Thank you for sharing this.I’ve been going through a harrowing time spiritually but I thank God for His love.Often we focus so much on our failures that we begin to live like failures.Thank you for reminding us that we have a precious hope in Jesus:)
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