Premature fail

Last week as I walked through the corridors of the Cignal TV offices, I chanced upon a wall-sized mural of a quotation from Thomas Edison that goes: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” I’d seen or actually read it somewhere before but after seeing the mural I sort of sensed that there was a story or at least an article I could write about the Goliaths in our lives as well as Premature Failures that Thomas Edison was referring to. It was only about a week ago when many of us read or watched the news about how the fire that burned down the San Miguel Corporation packaging plant had cause serious damage to approximately 300 meters length of the SMC Skyway. Remember, that the SLEX-NLEX Connector was suppose to open around March and everybody was looking forward to a faster route between South Luzon and North Luzon as well as less traffic on EDSA. After such a long wait and countless challenges and delays, the double dose of disaster certainly hits hard even for us who were simply waiting for the project to finish.

Yes, sometimes “when it rains, it pours” and that’s when some people opt to throw in the towel or walk away. But if you’ve watched enough historic accounts, testimonies and documentaries you are bound to realize that “It is often darkest before it gets light”. When people ask me for advise regarding plans and God’s calling in our lives, I usually tell them that the process comes in a series of events. First you get a “word”, then you receive confirmation, then an opportunity opens up and then your Goliath shows up.  Some people get the spiritual sort of word like a prophecy or something they read from the Bible hits home or “jumps out” at them while others just get the garden variety suggestion or observation like someone telling you that you will be a doctor, businessman or casually saying; You should really get into sports, put up a store, or start a business or find another job.

After getting the word, it is important that you receive it. You can get the best offer, promotion, or proposal of your life today but it is worthless if you reject it or walk away from it. I never once thought of being in media but one day three different women (Connie Reyes / Princess Punzalan / Sylvia Reyes) visited my father’s wake three different days, stood on the same spot in front of my dad’s coffin and told me the same message at the very same hour 6 pm: “Only you will take your father’s place”. Yikes! I was living a simple but happy life on an island in Palawan. No Way! But one year later, on bended knees I surrendered to God’s will on the condition that I would not have to apply for a job. After you get the word and receive the word, you eventually receive confirmation or affirmation or find opportunities or open doors related to the word that’s been given you. As for me, Yes the jobs for print, radio and eventually for TV came to me. Time and again, God has arranged for jobs to find me wherever he wanted me.

One sure sign that you are on the right track is when Goliath shows up. He’s big, loud, disruptive, disconcerting, annoying, your Goliath can be the competition, the obstruction or an obstructionist individual or corporation, even government sometimes. Many times in the Bible it was family members or relatives. Goliath can come in the form of market challenges or in the case of San Miguel plain and simple “bad luck” or is it that simple? Let’s not forget that when shit happens, someone is usually responsible for it. It can be a Goliath or it can be the devil himself trying to get in your way from doing something important, achieving something significant or accomplishing God’s purpose or plan. Never once should you take for granted that the devil will either lie cheat, steal or DESTROY! Remember how the devil tempted Jesus in the desert by trying to trick him to use his power, by offering him earthly power just to prevent him from fulfilling his mission. Finally the devil used other human beings to attack Christ. How about you, how many temptations and distractions have you been offered? How many problems and challenges were thrown at you when you tried to do something really really big, life changing and beneficial to others? One important lesson I’ve learned at Victory Christian Fellowship is that the devil will first attack the head of the family, if he can’t turn the father, he goes for the mother/wife, and if that doesn’t work he goes for the sons and daughters because they are the most vulnerable.In business he attacks the visionaries or destroys or obstructs their goals. As a final act of spite he assaults and destroys either property or human lives. When Goliath shows up then bag things or bad luck hound you, then you know you are closer to success that Thomas Edison was referring to. When the devil or Goliath brings chaos to your door, here’s a tip from David when he confronted Goliath:

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head....

The whole world will know there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands”

Yes the Battle is the Lord’s.

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]