The Power of 'The Path': Overcoming the Fear of Failure, Part 2

The average follower of Jesus has never gotten into the Bible in a way, and gotten enough help to get into the Bible in a way where it goes from, yes, maybe it's a duty as you start, and then pretty soon, you develop a discipline. But as you do that and as you learn, I will assure you, it will become a delight.

It took me a few years for that to occur in my life. But, you know, it took me a lotta years to have delight in some other things. It took a lotta years of practice to have a delight in my marriage and communication because we didn't know how to do that. It took me a lot of years to delight in being a parent when, mostly, I was overwhelmed with fear. He says here that blessed is the man or blessed is the woman who delights in God's Word. In other words, Your truth is precious to me. I cherish it. It's important. It matters. It's first.

And then it's not just that you have a relationship to say I believe that that's true, but then he says, "... who delights in God's Word and meditates on it day and night."

It's a agricultural picture. It's the picture of a number of different animals, especially cows. They ruminate. So, they get some grass, and they chew it for a while. They swallow it, digest it, they put it in one of their stomachs. And then a little bit later, they bring it back up and they chew it some more. And it's a word picture of, of someone who doesn't just read the Bible, or reads a devotional, or "I went to church."

To meditate is to... How do I engraft, how do I let this truth begin to go down into my heart and down into my life in such a way that I begin to think God's thoughts? That I begin to look at life through His perspective? That I look at the fears of the world and what people were saying in light of His promises and His presence?

And pretty soon, as you meditate on God's Word, he says something happens to you. You get a foundation that other people don't have. You become like a tree by streams of water.

And the picture is that, you know, drought can come, famine can come, difficulty can come.

But if there's a tree... literally, the word is canal, next to a canal of water. And it says it bears its fruit in its season. And there's different seasons. And it takes time, and it takes practice. But he says the person who is diligent digests God's Word, who meditates on it and ponders it in ways, you become like this tree that bears fruit. And your leaf doesn't wither.

In other words, there's thriving, there's vitality. And in whatever you do, think of that promise, whatever you do, you'll be successful, or some translations will say prosperous.

In a world where people are trying to overcome their fear, here's my boldness statement - I Will Choose to Thrive.

That's what I'm going to do with my life. I don't know how many more years I have, I don't know how many more years you have, but I'm going to choose to thrive. I'm going to overcome my fear because God wants to bless me, He wants me to be successful. But my part will be, I'm going to have to say no to the counsel of the world that says this is what success is like. I'm going to have to say no to some relationships that want to take me in directions that are not positive at all. And I'm going to say absolutely no to a group of people that make themselves experts, and they're scoffers, and they attack what I believe. Because when I look at their life, it doesn't work out well.

I've been walking with Jesus for 51 years or so. And I've kind of gotten to see what happens over time in life. I've actually raised kids. Are you ready for this? My wife wouldn't probably want me to say this, I have two sons that are twins, they turned 50 last year. I got kids that are 50! I've got three college kids that are grandchildren, and one all the way down to five.

I've been around the block. I've watched people take all kind of paths to want to be successful and take shortcuts, and, "This marriage isn't working, and I'll throw this one away, and I'll try that," and these addictions, and that addictions. I've counseled thousands upon thousands of people in the last 50 years as a pastor.

And all I can tell you is God wants you to be successful. He wants you to be happy. He wants you to be blessed. And there's a path to get there. And when you follow that path, you don't have to be worried about failing as a parent. You don't have to worry about failing financially. He says if you do this, you can absolutely know with certainty that I am going to produce a life over time that brings about blessing and success.

And so, before I go any farther, let me just give you, just a couple highlights. At Living on the Edge, we spent a lot of time trying to help people get into God's Word in a way that really brings transformation. So, obviously we, you know, we teach. But that's sort of the beginning. A lot of people hear God's Word. Then our dream is that people would get into some groups and begin to study it, so we developed some small group material. And then we want to give people some personal tools where they learn how to meditate.

So, when I was a young man, a young Christian, the first couple years, I just did not believe that I could ever overcome my internal thoughts of lust. I mean, I didn't grow up as a believer, how I thought about women, how I thought about life. I got pretty clear on, what God's path was.

And then I remember starting to memorize Scripture. And remember, I memorized 21 verses in a row. There were 60 verses that I was going to memorize, and I, I did one a day. And I reviewed them every single day.

And I remember, twenty-one, meeting a, a beautiful co-ed that was very, very godly and was very, very beautiful. And I remember having a conversation where my eyes only went to her eyes. And I appreciated her as a sister. And I watched God break those chains. What I want to tell you is, uh, trying really hard to be a good Christian, going to church once or twice a month, listening to a podcast here, you know, reading a two-minute devotional on YouVersion, all those things have their place. But transformation is you’ve got to meditate.

And so, as I begin to memorize God's Word... when I'm waiting in line at the grocery store, you know, when I'm at the bank and it's like, "Oh my lands, how can the lines be this long?" You know, and by the way, you can put all this on your phone. But I want to tell you, if you want God to bless your life, if you want to overcome your fear of failure, you have to renew your mind.

Paul said it in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed." Literally, stop allowing the world's system and its lies to conform you to it. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that your life and lifestyle could prove, or test, or demonstrate what God's will is, that it's good, acceptable, perfect.

God's got an awesome plan. My experience, unfortunately, and the research bears it out with Pugh, and Barna, and others, the average Christian is not experiencing God's plan, and the average Christian, according to the latest research, is not in God's Word in a deep way, let alone in a meditating way.

So, what I know is that this world, the path, and the counsel of the wicked, it wants to take me in directions. And I'm bombarded. I'm bombarded every time I turn on the TV, every time I watch a movie. I mean, the world around me... And so, I have to swim upstream, and you have to swim upstream.

And so, I started taking some cards, and I would write down the lies I believe. Lies about what makes me successful, lies about what I think about myself. And then I would write down the truth from God's Word and put a small passage, and again, I just, before I go to bed...

Now, by the way, just lighten up a little bit if you're thinking, "Gosh, I, I can't even get in get in the Bible, and you're telling me about cards and memorizing Scripture?" I've been at it for 50 years. But you have to start somewhere.

And here's what I can tell you. If you want to overcome your fear of failure... And I'd like you to pause right now and ask what's your greatest fear with regard to failure. Is it personal failure? Career failure? Relational failure? Parenting failure? Financial failure? I want you to know it is a journey, it takes a lot of work, but blessed is the man or the woman that doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers, but your delight - developed over time - your delight, your passion, is in God's Word.

Jesus said, "Man can't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." The writer of Hebrews in chapter 4 would say to you, "God's Word is living and active. It's powerful, it's sharper than a two-edged sword. It pierces to the division of soul and spirit. It reveals to us the thoughts and intentions of our heart."

God's Word is so important because God takes the written Word and His Spirit and energizes it and makes it the living Word. And that's what He was saying to Joshua: Joshua, this Book of the Law, I want you to not just read it, I don't want you just to know it. I want you to put it into practice. And as you put it into practice, bam, power. And that's what I long for you. I want you to be bold and courageous. I want you to be a difference-maker.

I want you to be the kind of man, the kind of woman, the kind of student, the kind of husband, the kind of grandfather or grandmother, the kind of employer, the kind of employee, that in the midst of a world where people are going, "What is happening?" you're one of those people that you are strong and courageous. Why? Because this Book, you are a Word-centered Christian. Not a podcast-centered Christian, not a little devotional-centered Christian, not even a church-centered Christian. All those have their place.

But God is looking for a man, a woman, a student who says, "You know, I might be new, but the number one priority - Your Word - is life. I'm going to take it in." And little by little, three steps forward, and then are you ready? Yeah, two steps backward. And like me, "Yes, oh, I, I made great progress," and, "Oh, gosh, I left it again," or, "I struggled again." And Jesus says, "Oh, but I'm so proud of you, Chip. Thanks for taking those steps. I understand. You just keep trusting Me. Take My Word and put it in your mind, put it in your heart, digest it, share it with others, share it... Make it the priority of your life." And He says, "I will bless you."

But notice the contrast. Verse 4 says, literally, it's so strong, the order of it is, "Not so the wicked." The blessing, the success, the prosperity, "Not so the wicked. But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. And therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment.”

It's a picture of when God is going to judge about who will have eternal life and who will not have eternal life. He says, "No, they won't be there." And just like there's a picture over here of this thriving tree with a supply of water, and with fruit, love, and joy, and peace, and gentleness, and kindness, and relationships.

And by the way, with that, when you do life God's way, He so often brings financial blessing, and circumstantial blessing, and relational blessing, and, and if you have a heart and desire for children, often children and grandchildren.

God's for us. He wants to give you a great life. And He's saying: Here's the path. Here's the way. And the tragedy, why we are not bold and we are not courageous, because we're looking all around us instead of looking and understanding there is a future, and there is a God, and there is a truth, and He's going to raise up some very ordinary, regular individuals.

The greatest encouragement I got as a young Christian reading this book was these people are messed up. I mean, they are really messed up. I mean, we got murderers, and adulterers, and prostitutes, and... I mean, a terrorists. One of Jesus' disciples was a terrorist. Matthew was a crook. James and John, anger management issues. I mean, we're talking about a group of people who came into relationship with Jesus, began to take in his Word, and they were changed from the inside out. And the world has been changed forever and ever by ordinary, regular people.

And Jesus said to them what God said to Joshua, when you take in the truth of My Word, when you internalize it, when you put it into practice, imperfectly but consistently, I will bless your life.

And he says, the opposite picture, if that's a tree and it's bearing fruit, and no matter what you do over time, and in season, you're going to have success and prosperity," he said, "over here is the wicked. And the wicked are like they would do wheat. And what they would do is when they would shake the wheat, or pound the wheat, and then the chaff is that, that dry stuff that's worth nothing, and the wind would come up and it would just blow away. He says the wicked, who think they're so smart, think they're so wise, who so criticize you narrow, Bible-believing people, you followers of Jesus, he says, it's, [puff of air] it's vanity. It's worthless. When they come into judgment, they have no standing. They'll be rejected. I mean, we don't hear it a lot, but there is an afterlife, and there is a heaven and there is a hell.

The Scripture's clear. It says, "God doesn't desire any to perish, but all to come to eternal life."

And then notice the great promise in verse 6, "For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." And if you have your Bible and happen to be following along, circle that word knows. Some of the translations will be watches. It's a very, very intimate word. It's a picture of, on this journey that you're on... And, and it's uphill, right? I get it. Even as a follower of Jesus, to live the kind of life I'm talking about, it's really hard. And it's not one that most Christians are embracing. And he says, when you are on this path: … the way of the righteous, God - the word is - “knows…” and he sees, and he protects…

It's a picture of Psalm 32:8 where the Scripture says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way in which you should go. I will counsel you with My eye upon you."

The creator of the universe, the all-knowing, all-powerful king of the universe who made all there is, who made you, who knows the end from the beginning, says: As you say no to the world and its messages and yes to Me through my Word, I will put my arm around you and I will be your Shepherd. And I will direct you. And I know your way, and I know your struggles, and I know your hurts. And I'm for you, and I love you. And we're going to get through this. And you will make mistakes, and I do understand. But as you seek to walk with Me, as you seek to live a righteous and blameless life, not perfect, but with this heart intent to honor Me.

He says: you will be bold, and you will be courageous, because you will actually know there's truth. You will actually know there's an outcome. You will know for certain what will happen to you after you die, and you will know that every promise in this book is for you today. You can know that as you get into My Word, I will give you power to overcome every obstacle. And I will never leave you, and I'll never forsake you.

You know, the world is hurting. And God's solution is not [to throw] lightning bolts out of the sky. It's an ordinary man, ordinary woman, a regular student who says, "There's two paths. Lord, I'm going to take Your path.

I'm going to stand for what You stand for. I'm going to take the direction of my life from Your Word. I'm going to start a journey where I get into Your Word on a daily basis. I'm going to put it into practice. When I mess up, I'm going to, from a heart, say, 'I am really sorry,' and I'm going to receive Your forgiveness.

And little by little, by little, as I team up with other like-hearted followers of Jesus, I know for sure that You're going to change my life from the inside out. And in my work, and in my neighborhood, and in my school, I'm going to ask You to make me strong, overcoming the resistance of the world, and courageous to actually take a stand.

And take a stand winsomely, lovingly, caringly, that people could meet someone, a fellow student, a fellow neighbor, a fellow worker that is so much like Jesus, they would be drawn and attracted to want to come to know the God that loves them." Because the truth of the matter is this, He wants to bless. I jotted in my notes, "God will bless and prosper your life in good times and in bad if you will follow His way and follow His Word."