Great title huh? “Does G_d want us to fail?” I suppose that was a bit unfair since there is a part(s) to the question that I left out. The full question, I think, is: Does G_d want us to try and fail or to just not try at all?
I know that my gut response was immediately: Of course G_d wants us to try! But here is what I’m chewing on today…what if that failure is sin? What if I attempted to do something but the result of my effort is sin? Would it have been better to not have attempted it?
Now, if you know me, you’ll know that a well earned sin has never slowed me down…so I would go for it. But here is my concern…I don’t know that my proclivity for sin is so well accepted amongst the religious. What I am attempting to say is that I hear many folks in the church concerned about decisions [to the point of inactivity] because of a fear that their choice could lead to committing a sin.
Have you said, or heard someone else say, “I’m not sure if this is what G_d wants me to do or if it is just me?” Ultimately, this results in only a few folks ‘going for it.’ – Is the good LORD really playing cat and mouse with our faithfulness? Is He going to unleash hell if we run with reckless abandon after what we believe to be good and righteous?
As a father this feels familiar (though off the top of my head I don’t have a good example): I would desire that my son attempts what is good and right with fervor and excitement…even if it results in him ‘failing’ and ultimately doing something that he’s not allowed to do. I thought about an instance when he retrieved a friend’s kickball from the street because the child (younger than him) was going to run out for it…My son knew that the right thing to do was to help him (and protect him) but ultimately he failed to follow our rules for him – not going out into the street on his own!
How often do I go out into the street in order to do what is good and right? Would it be better to do nothing? My son now understands that the better choice would be to take his friend with him to get an adult to retrieve the ball…but I bless G_d that he is the type of person that will risk messing up in order to care for the people around him.
Does G_d want us to fail?
Don Schiewer, Jr. 