Quite dishearteningly today that many preachers have misled people as to the true meaning of success. The parameters of measuring success has been physical, material and transient. Success has been defined as standard of living, mansions, class, cars, winning and dining with the big shots of society. Many men who have been hoodwinked by these errors are therefore ready to cut corners, maim, rob, kill and steal so as to have these worldly goods and appear successful in the eyes of the world.
Many men have covenanted their soul to the god of money, pleasure and idol because they want to make it by all means. Many have entered into cults, groups and societies that promises wealth and fame in exchange for their soul. Because of wrong concept of success being taught, even by the church, many men are in these secret bondages today.
A. What is true success in Life? Joshua 1:8; Ps. 1:1-3
Everybody identifies with success, but not everybody understands success. Success in the world means Power, Position and Prestige, plus MONEY. But in Biblical sense, it means pleasing God through:-
- Knowing God’s purpose for your life
- Growing to your full potential
- Sowing seeds that benefit others
Success is not a future thing, it is what you experience everyday as long as you live with these definitions.
True success is a journey, it is not an event. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself. It is what you do for others.
Success is not measured by the position you reach in life; it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.
B. Facts of Success
1. True success does not consist in what you acquire, attain and achieve, but in who you are.
2. Success is who you are within. If you don’t win within, you cannot win without.
3. You can inherit money and wealth, but not success. You must work for it.
4. Success has a price. You must pay the price to move up.
5. Success must be updated; else it becomes a current failure.
6. It is a lifelong process. Success does not start and end in a day.
7. You are the best material for your success. You are either your greatest asset or liability.
C. Turning your failure to success Pro. 24:16; Micah 7:8
Today, many are muddled up in their perception of success and failure that we need to look at it more critically. The increase in depression, mental disorder, suicide rates, many turning their back on God and some continual crisis in life are sure evidences that many people, particularly Christian men are training for success, when they should be training for failure in life. The more we learn about failure, the better for us. Because failure is more common than success, stagnancy is more prevalent than growth and disappointments than achievements. The questions in life is not whether you will experience failure, but how you are going to deal with your failures. For life is not a straight line, but up and down.
1. Failure a definition Pro. 24:16; Micah 7:8
Failure is part and parcel of life. All fail often and all will continue to fail. Most people who succeed fail seven times before they make it. Temporary failures are the mistakes, setbacks, errors, bad decisions, bitter disappointment, lack of growth, joblessness, misfortune, failed marriage, moral laxity, unwanted pregnancy, business and financial loss, defeat and recurrent problems, loss of loved one, late marriage, bad luck, poverty and scandals. They can be personal or corporate in nature.
The problem in life is that people take these failures too personal and too seriously and never think of ways of rising above them. They allow them to limit them:-
- Hinder them from marching forward
- Accepting their destiny
- Fear of starting again
- Regret and discouragement
- Moody and despodent
- Guilt and condemnation
- Shameful and being negative
- Failure to forgive and move ahead
- Blaming others for situation
- Surrendering to opposition
- Quitting and giving up.
The difference between average men and achieving men is their perception and response to failure. They realize that if you mind the opposition you will definitely lose your position.
2. Facts of failure II Chro. 4:9-10
Failure should be stepping stones rather than stop signs. What happens to you doesn’t matter, but what happens in you.
- To fail means first attempt in learning
- Failure is the price we pay for success
- Failure is the back-door to success
- Failure is unavoidable
- Failure is not a monument
- Failure is not an enemy
- Failure is not irreversible
- Failure is not fatal or final
“If silly things were not done, intelligent things would never happen”. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes but great minds rise above them. “Upon they wreckage of yesterday, construct the structure of tomorrow”. The terrible truth is that all roads to achievement lead through the land of failure. Tomorrow belongs to the failures.
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3. Benefits of Failure
It’s okay to fall down as long as you learn something as you get up. These are some of the benefits of failure:-
- It keeps you humble It helps you to learn lessons
- It helps you to change
- It will arrest your attention
- It helps you to discover yourself
- It helps you to try a better idea
- It helps you to try harder
Failure doesn’t mean you will not succeed, it only means you have to work smarter. “Many of life’s true failure are men who did not realise how close they were to success when they give up”. True failure is giving up when you should continue.
4. Examples of people who turn failure around
Abraham Lincoln failed 14 times in business, politics and family before he became the president of USA.
*Albert Einsten failed maths in School
*The inventor of light failed 50,000 times before he succeeded
*At 67 years old, Edison saw his lab get burnt down, yet by his 84 birthday he had invented more than anybody else.
*The result of football at half-time is the most unreliable result in the world.
Abraham Lincoln said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure”. History is made up of men who failed the first time but rise again to achieve success.
5. Why people truly Fail
- Lack of vision and purpose
- Disobedience to God
- Negative confession
- Wrong foundation
- Self-indulgent and laziness
- Generational curse
- Lack of purpose and plan
- Inability to take risk
- Giving up to soon
- Content with past success
- Moving with wrong people
- Lack of personal growth.
6. Turning your failure to success
This is how to use your failure to turn you to a better person. Failure is an inside job. If you don’t fail within, you will not fail without.
- Don’t concentrate on failure but success
- Don’t treat your failure as a foe but as a friend
- Make failure a learning experience
- Don’t view your failure as a monument but as a moment
- Don’t take your failure too personal
- Don’t be tied down by past failure
- Use failure as a gauge for growth
- Be committed to His purpose for you
- Always see the big picture and avoid distractions
- Don’t surrender your success to excuses
- Change, grow, improve, learn and update yourself
- Trust, obey and pray fervently
- Be focused, dedicated and diligent.