Dust Yourself Off-Try Again

When I was growing up, I was often told, “If you fall, get back up, dust yourself off, and try it again.”  I was also told, “Can’t never could do anything.”  I believe my parents were teaching determination as well as courage and defeat of fear.   

     Proverbs 24:16 supports the idea of getting back up. “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…”   The GNT version states it as, “No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again.” 

     Although I do not like failure, it is a teaching experience. There are many good quotes on getting back up after failure in order to achieve success, but below are just a few encouraging ones I found: 

 

“If you fall off a horse, get back in the saddle.” 

“The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried.”

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

“One who fears failure limits his activities.”

“Giving up is the only sure way to fail.”

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”

Finally, Here are my thoughts on  "getting back up to try again."

The Fall 

I had a great fall and wanted to bawl

But I stood instead of taking a crawl.

This was no defeat.

Success was just down the street,

And it would be sweet.

I’d try again.

The effort wouldn’t be in vain.

I had too much to gain.

The fall was just small;

I had determination to scale that wall.

This was a temporary setback 

To staying on track.

The Seven D's

I remember a dream I had one time; it was a hope- a wish. I had to make a decision based on facts about how to accomplish it. The facts led to a delay while I allowed things to fall into place; I could not just jump in head first; as some might say “sink or swim”.  At times, during the process, I felt as if I had met a dead-end. That was when I needed to take another look at the facts and consider all the options. Finally the plan headed down the right path. I was determined! My patience soon found the dream coming true. That was  deliverance. My hope and wish finally met success giving me delight, a joy and happiness. You might say the steps included 7-D’s.

 

Dream- a hope/ a wish

Decision- study of facts 

Delay- Patient until the right time  

Dead-end  - reconsideration of facts 

Determination - staying the course 

Deliverance- success

Delight- joy 

Finished the Work

     I, like most people, measure success by my accomplishments, my finances, the car I drive, the home I live in, and the clothes I wear.  Yet, when I consider the fact that I am here on this earth for just a short period of time, until the Lord returns in the air to carry me home, none of these things will matter.  What will matter is how I lived my life for Jesus and my willingness to share my faith with others.  What will matter is how I loved and treated others. 
     In the words of David Platt, "We will not wish we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortably, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of this world, instead, we will wish we had given more of ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing the praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship."
     In a prayer Jesus spoke in John 17 to His Father, He said, "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."   I sincerely hope I don't miss the opportunities set before me to "finish the work."
    

Success Through Prayer

     We all like success.  It brings a feeling of euphoria and joy.  So, I asked myself, "What can I do to achieve the most success and the fastest success?"  I believe the answer to this is prayer.  We need the involvement of our Father in  all areas of our life.

     Today and every day, we have before us an opportunity to make a difference in our nation through prayer.  Regardless of our beliefs, we need to unite in prayer.  Regardless of whether we like who is in office, our President, Vice President, or members of Congress, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to prayer for godly leadership and for unity.  This does not mean we have to change our ideals or beliefs unless we are led by God to do so.  It simply means we want great things for our country and the people.  We need God to lead our country.

     As I was studying the parable of the prodigal son, and his return to his father, the author reminded me of two things: 

    First, if the father knew what was happening to his son as he journeyed alone, in trouble with no help and without direction, it was like a knife wound in the father's heart.

    Secondly, everything the son had to began his journey came from his father, and everything he needed to regain his life was to be found only in his father's house.  

     The author also stated, "the joy of the father upon his son's return was unrestrained."
     Wouldn't it be awesome to see unrestrained blessings showered upon the United States of America?  How could we be more successful than that?

    

2 Chronicles 7:14     "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

     

    

Speck in the Eye

     When I was visiting with a friend and successful business man yesterday, he told me a story about one way to be successful.  It seems there was a new doctor who had just opened his business.  One day during a time with no clients, he looked out his front glass door and watched all the people going into another doctor's clinic; however this doctor had been in business for several years.  In a few minutes a friend walked in and asked the new doctor what he was doing.  The doctor explained he was observing all the business the well-established doctor had.  It was then the friend said, "Let me give you some advice.  You need to stop worrying about the clients next door and only be concerned about giving the very best treatment to the ones who walk in this door." 
     When I was told this story, I immediately thought about Matthew 7:3-5, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
     Even though I had, what I consider a successful career, and am now retired I still have a desire to be successful in my own image and personality.  I believe, that being successful does require giving my best to others, but it also requires that I work on myself so that I am not judgmental without first taking a look at myself and then working on removing the defects I have in my own life.  I have to remind myself daily to stop looking at the actions of others and concentrate on my own thoughts and actions.