Recent original @melhice tweet:
"Today I give myself permission to succeed and to fail trying!"
For so long I have felt greatness churning on the inside of my being. In my youth, I was unconquerable and unstoppable! I had big dreams, high hopes and just the right amount of that fiery redhead fight in me to make it all happen. However, as each year passed and with every personal failure added, disappointment knocked the wind of out my sails and began to slowly sink my boat called FAITH as I barely clung to the life preserver HOPE.
The bible says in Micah 7:8,
"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light."
Hope will whisper to us in our darkest moments, in the very midst of onslaught of mockery thrown at us by our adversary and say, "You are not done; you can get up one more time." So that is just what I did. I simply kept getting up. Shaky, but I got up. Weak, but I got up. Slowly, but I still got up.
However, Failure is not the enemy I want to expose today. As destructive as it may be, there is another foe I am in the midst of slaying. You see, I have recently realized that I have still been paralyzed. Free to walk and run but somehow stuck, frozen, and unable to live in the "wide open space" available to me. The bible says that Jesus came to give me life and life in abundance (John 10:10). I began to question why my life didn't seem to reflect the fullness of God’s promises.
So what is the name of this Goliath that has been lurking in the dark corners of my soul, cowering behind Failure until he could be hidden no longer? His name is deceiving; for if called out just by his last name he gives the appearance of being a most desired friend. I mean who in their right mind does not want to have the personal cell phone number and unlimited access to Mr. Success? However, call him out by his full name and you have got someone who does not have your personal interest in mind and could care less about you accomplishing the dreams and purposes of God in your life.
Fear of Success is the enemy’s follow up companion to Failure. If the shame and condemnation of our own personal failures isn’t enough to snuff the life out of us, it is a sure bet that the next visitor to knock on our door will be the fear to succeed. With its humble appearance and garments of lowliness it appears to be the most honorable path. But we are not to be fooled. True humility and meekness are displayed through a surrendered life that manifests God’s power and glory.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
When we succeed we become a declaration to the world that there is a God and that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20). In the Old Testament the enemies of Israel trembled when they saw the great things God did for His people. When the prophets lived boldly before the Lord, the things God did through them became a loud call of warning of repentance. When Jesus walked the earth testifying of God, miracles, signs and wonders followed Him wherever He went. He did not apologize for who He was and what God did through His hands because He was simply being obedient to the orders of His Father and leaving the response of the people to God.
When we do not give ourselves permission to both fail and to succeed, we abort the opportunity to display God’s wisdom, His power and His love to all of mankind. We miscarry the seed of the godly legacy we have been commissioned to leave on this earth for the next generation to pick up and run faster, go farther and do greater things than we could have accomplished in our own lifetime all to the glory of God!
Today I send an invitation out to slay this giant occupying the land of your promises! Your dream matters because God’s dream matters. Today, give yourself “Permission to succeed and to fail trying.”
