Power to Change » failure

You Are Not Alone

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:47 +0000

We all have dreams, but not all dreams come true. What do you do when the life you’re living turns out to be something very different from the life you had planned? In those awful moments when it feels like you’re completely alone, those dark times when you wonder if anyone even sees you, there is hope. You are not alone.

Take the next step:
Do you fear being alone?
Married, but alone
Take a lesson: Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?

Do You Belong?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:00:07 +0000

Have you ever had an experience that separated you from the people around you? For some of us it was a divorce, for others, a failure. Sometimes it’s our finances that makes us different, or our health (or the lack of it). If you’ve ever felt like you were on the outside looking in, there is hope for you.

Take the next step:
You can know God personally
Why did Jesus suffer?
Are you lonely?

Do You Belong?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:00:05 +0000

Take the next step:
Are you lonely? Life is very lonely when you don’t feel like you belong
Craving intimacy? You are not alone.
If you feel lonely, come talk to a mentor

Don’t Understand? Trust God

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:22 +0000

Read our article about trusting God when we don’t know why things are happening: “Trusting God through the Seasons of Life”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, or relational—but if you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day.” One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path he specifically chose for you.

In the meantime, do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what is best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays—all the things that make you ask “why”—one day will all be clear in the light of God’s love.

But for now, we’re learning to trust God.

Question: What is often a better response than asking God “why?” things are happening?

Cigarette

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:00:58 +0000

Wouldn’t it be nice if love was like in a Hollywood romantic comedy? All it would take to fix a dysfunctional or broken relationship would be a crazy scheme. But real life doesn’t work out that way. The love we invest into what we intuitively desire the most often does not return to us like we expect and hope.

After watching this short film, consider: What happened between Sara & James, Gerald & Mind, Sara & Gerald? Why? The film ends with: “The thing you love in life most might be the thing that ends up killing you.” Have you ever loved anything so much, but it turned out in the end to be harmful? If you’d like someone to talk with about a relationship or a broken heart, privately & confidentially, contact an online mentor today.

Maze or Labyrinth?

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 08:00:44 +0000

Can we pray for you today?

“Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it” (Matthew 28:29, The Message).

“I am the way” (John 14:6).

When farmers harvest corn, they often leave stalks of the plants as mulch for future crops or to catch snow over winter months to provide additional moisture for the crops. Sometimes farmers will cut stalks to ground level in a special design to form a maze. People, especially during harvest festivals, enjoy walking through the maze to find their way out. The perplexing problem in a maze is that there are many “dead ends” and participants must start all over again.

A labyrinth – which at first glance appears similar to a maze – is quite different. A labyrinth has one pathway that leads from the entrance to the goal, albeit by a complex and winding route.

Just as people can easily confuse a maze with a labyrinth, they can identify the Christian life more with one than another. Some believe that walking with Christ is just one dead end after another. They find the crushing loss events of life – failure, death, divorce, etc. – to be evidence of a God they believe holds them at arm’s length, uninvolved or perhaps even manipulative.

But those who view their relationship with God as one where they walk together along labyrinth paths will identify God as a loving friend who knows the beginning as well as the end. While the route will be “complex and winding,” the One walking with us has an unobstructed view of the final destination.

His invitation is clear: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message).

Questions: Are you tired and burned out on religion? Where are you at in your spiritual walk right now? How can you keep from feeling that that the Christian life is just one dead end after another?

Where Did I Go Wrong?

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:21:12 +0000

They say when a woman becomes a mother, its like her heart has been given feet and is walking around outside her body. For Joan when her eldest daughter left home and closed the door on a deep relationship she was devastated and she could help but ask “Where did I go wrong?” Has your child closed the door on a relationship with you?

The Value Of Losing

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:12:18 +0000

With defeat comes growth. Something Albert Martens knows all to well. After running the Sahara Desert race 4 times and failing 3 of those times he has learned the value of loosing. What happens when you don’t win? Is winning everything?

Related:
Does Your Life Have Purpose?

Life’s Curveballs

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:51:09 +0000

When asthma interrupted his soccer career, Mike Shearon had to redefine who he was. “I went from being one of the better players on the team, to being nothing.” What curveballs has life thrown you? How do you handle it?

Why Was I Created?

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:39:24 +0000

Failing a midterm, not getting the job, losing the love of your life. These are all failures in today culture. All these things can send you into a tailspin and make you question your identity. Why do we fail?

Related:
What Is My Purpose In Life?