I have experienced many situations since becoming a Christian more than fifty years ago. My family has belonged to very legalistic churches, churches dying within, growing churches and evangelistic churches. We have been friends with liberals, conservatives and those who didn’t know what they believed. One of my favorite sermons has been on the Prodigal Son. I have heard it preached by different ministers at least 25 or more times. The Bible makes it very clear that the son’s notorious living was with prostitutes and drunkenness. However, when he had reached the extreme bottom of life his father took him back, forgave him and treated him as part of the family. This is what God has available for anyone willing to ask for forgiveness and willing to repent and live the “will” of God. Sometimes there is a price to pay for our past sins. If you have been an alcoholic prior to salvation you could be left with a liver as tough as leather. Chances are God is not going to change it and you will have to live with it.

I have personally known for more than ten years a Christian man who has either directly or indirectly committed every one of the Ten Commandments. This gentleman became independently wealthy in a business most Christians would never consider being involved. Had he invested his money wisely he could have retired prior to reaching the age of 50. For the past 15 years he has completely devoted his life as a solid, committed and totally obedient Christian. He is, a pillar so to speak, in his church and a person highly respected by other Christians. A number of years ago he sold his business and has worked in different areas since. Helping friends and relatives he invested his life savings with them and lost all he had accumulated from the ways of the world. He recently had to declare bankruptcy. What would you tell someone if they asked: “Why would God allow this to happen?” Not wanting to be put in a place of one of Job’s friends (Book of Job), I suppose it could be that God wanted to take everything in his past and have him start over completely. God allowed Satan to take away everything Job had been given. However, when Job remained true and committed to God, God replenished him with more than he had originally.

I suppose anyone with an usually sinful past history would have problems with guilt. Do we not believe that anytime something bad happens in our lives that God knows what is best for us in the end? I have had situations occur that taught me tremendous lessons. Being involve in sports as a player and a high school coach I have always learned more from losing than I ever did from winning. Maybe it is just me but I learned very little from winning in life. However, when I failed I wanted to know why and what could I do so it wouldn’t happen again.

I John 5:4 – “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” NLT – The world is not interested in whether we succeed or fail. However, God wants us to succeed. Who will we put our trust in? It all boils down to how much faith do we have in God? If we believe God wants us to succeed is He not going to help us through the Holy Spirit? Are we going to let the guilt of the past control us or is God really punishing us to keep us down? We have a choice to listen to the devil, who is trying to defeat us or listening to the Holy Spirit who is trying to get us to new heights. I Peter 5:8 – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

How often do Christians stop to realize that evil spirits are bombarding them daily with temptations to distract them from doing God’s will and to be lured by the world’s ways? Everyone doing it must make it right!

It doesn’t make any difference that others think of you as being a success or a failure. It is what God thinks of you. Did God create any one of us to fail? What if a child was afraid of falling? Would they ever learn to walk? How strong is our faith? Do we see ourselves as God sees us? And who are we going to listen to: the Holy Spirit or the devil who is looking for someone to devour? It is time for each one of us to check our faith and trust in God and then begin setting and achieving goals. There is no reason any one of us shouldn’t be successful in whatever we do within the “will” of God. Bankruptcy can be a beginning and a new start. It does not have to be looked upon as a failure. Stop listening to the devil who creates fear and guilt and listen to the Holy Spirit who wants to raise you up.