When Doing Right Fails You and 4 Tactics To Adjusting

Over a decade ago, I neglected what should have been a close relationship. For several years I took it for granted and didn't dedicate myself to it. Needless to say, it was virtually non-existent as a result.  Thankfully, I eventually saw my error and what I was missing & what I was withholding from the other person. So I began to revisit that relationship. To spend time, energy, and focus on the other individual. To truly be available to them. Granted, I didn't do it perfectly, I did however, make an effort. Yet, some 12 years later, that relationship is still not in ideal health.... Of course, the whole 'me not being perfect' and the 'it takes two' philosophy, both factor in but.....

I've done right longer than wrong.... I've done right for over a decade now, yet, I've failed to be able to develop the relationship into what it should be...  

Now by done everything 'right', I don't mean perfect, righteously, or without mistake...... We're not perfect. And there are often others involved in a given life situation, that aren't perfect either, and 2 imperfects, well they don't make a right either.  So by right, I mean, you've done the best you knew how.  I wrote here about how discipline alone will lead to failure without focus.  I would add to that, that losing doesn't make you a failure....quitting does. And that's what focus provides, a reason..not.. to quit. 

I'm naturally self-competitive and I can recall from my sport playing days, losing a game. Sure the scoreboard didn't lean in my favor but I still learned so much from my mistakes, that the next game... I outperformed even my own expectations. So, know, even losing, can bring you to success..................................................................................................................................................

In scripture the Apostle Paul is a wonderful icon for many a lesson and he drives home this idea of 'doing right', but still failing from his pre-conversion life. He loved God. He was highly studied in the old testament writings, yet somehow he missed the heart connection needed, to know Jesus. To see those Old Testament writings in the flesh.... before his very eyes. See, his doing right by the law of tradition caused him to do wrong according to the law of the kingdom that Jesus taught. 

In the end his most valiant effort to preserve God...... resulted in him literally attempting to destroy the very purpose of God...... the church... His idea of 'doing right' couldn't have been further from it. I've been there too. And I bet you have also. 

So what do you do when you realize that your best effort has been harming you all along?  That your 'doing right' has been doing wrong? 

Paul provides the answers in Galatians Chapter One as he summarizes his experience. It's in this text that we find 4 Tactics that will help you re-route your course when your best attempts have proven futile.

We must allow ourselves to be:

1.  Re-positioned 

     Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace." You must place your perspective back on what He has spoken over your life, your 'call'.

2.  Re-assigned 

     Galatians 1:16 "....that I might preach Him(Christ) among the gentiles." Paul used to preach 'law' among the Israelites but now he claims his assignment to be to preach Christ among the 'heathen' which in his case (& maybe yours), was polar opposite of what he was doing before.

3. Re-educated

     Galatians 1:18 "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days."  Although Paul was well educated in Jewish custom, he thought it necessary to be re-taught (by more seasoned disciples) on this new 'Christianity' that he fought against so diligently but now was a member of. Verse 17 also hints to Paul spending 3 years in Damascus, undoubtedly for some training as well. You too must re-learn when you hit a wall.

4. Re-launched

    Galatians 1:21-22 "Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ." This one is key. Paul was sent in a completely different direction than what was familiar to him.  Sometimes we too must allow ourselves to be given a different perspective in order to make our efforts more effective.

I would also note that none of these, do we do for ourselves. It is only by the power of God that any of it is possible.  The idea that perfection doesn't exist in our world,  is a lie. It does. In the mind..... In my mind, I ALWAYS have the perfect golf swing! The challenge is that the mind itself is not perfect, it's tarnished as well. My mentally perfect is not yours and vice versa. So, we must stop living in the 'reality' of our minds, and start living in the reality of God's mind....his word. One sure way to achieve this is to simply backtrack when the inevitable roadblocks of life arise, see where you find yourself in light of scripture & touch these 4 bases. And whether we've missed the mark completely or thought we were doing the 'right' thing, we'll get back on track a lot sooner. 

How about you? When has doing what is traditionally considered right, caused you to fail?

What steps do you take to evaluate and correct your failures?

Hopefully this helps the growth within, come out

Rodney