Hi there. I am Dr. Gilbert Soo Hoo, welcoming you back for the fourteenth episode of our series of talks on the topic, “My Work, Career, and Vocation.” In the previous episode, we find that we can mitigate the frustration, disappointment, stress, and anxiety that may characterize our work and life. We find solace and even healing when we venture into nature and marvel at its wonders, beauty, and freshness.

Nature testifies to its creator, the God of the universe. He is the source of beauty and all that is good and wholesome. Nature is God’s gift to us to enjoy, admire, ponder its mysteries. Depending on our preference, we can walk in the forest or on the beach, gaze at a lake, river, or waterfall, admire a garden of colorful flowers spanning a variety of shapes, sizes, and scents. We may enjoy the solitude of a quiet wood far from civilization and its noise and busy activities. We’re overwhelmed by the grandeur of a mountain and its range of peaks. At night we vainly count the myriad of stars above and sense how small we are compared to the vastness of the heavens. We find assurance that God is good, benevolent, wise, and powerful. We find comfort in him being our God, responsible for our wellbeing. We’re encouraged to approach him reverently and eagerly.

Like king David long before us, we cling to God in spite of our frustration, disappointment, puzzlement, confusion, doubts, pain, affliction. We echo the lament psalms in voicing our unhappiness with what bothers us—the slowness of God’s response to our prayers and pleas, his silence suggesting the awful possibility of him abandoning us in our time of need and desperation, the specter of failure at work, at home, in society, and even in our faith community. When we read the Bible’s account of David’s life and his many adventures or misadventures, on a few recorded occasions he seemed resigned to his fate. For example, after he spares Saul’s life at least for the second time, Saul promises (1 Samuel 26 verse 21): “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.” Then a bit later predicts that David will achieve great things (verse 25). As soon as the two men go their separate ways, the Bible mentions (1 Samuel verse 1): “But David thought to himself, ‘One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.’”

David does not believe that Saul is sincere about not seeking his life any longer. He knows Saul too well to be fooled. Saul may have meant it at the time but his jealous rage against David will drive him to hunt for David again. David still trusts in God’s protection and intervention but, at the same time, he thinks of how best to elude Saul. In his decision to flee to Philistine territory, the land of Israel’s enemy, David may not have prayed for divine guidance, at least it’s not mentioned. But he knows Saul will not go there as it would be deemed by the enemy as a declaration of war by invading their land. In this regard, David is smart. He identifies an effective refuge and goes there. Desperation can force us to do something risky and dangerous. But David’s ploy works and he’s safe so long as he stays there.

In this episode from the story about David and Saul, we see that David didn’t surrender to or trust Saul. Nor did David simply resigned himself to the inevitable and give up hope. Instead, David remained clear headed, sizing up his situation, evaluating his adversary Saul, figuring out viable alternatives, and then, having selected one option, took decisive action that likely saved his life. David, then, is our example of someone who tried to do something to remedy his predicament. It was unsatisfactory; he could not run from Saul and his army endlessly; eventually Saul will find and destroy him. He had to do something radical and he did. His tactic worked.

Yet, we ask, where is God in all this? In his conversation with Saul earlier, David vowed that he would not harm Saul as the Lord had made him king. He abstained from hurting Saul, reasoning that Saul would meet his fate at the Lord’s hand or through some other means other than David killing him. David exercised restraint out of respect for the Lord and the Lord’s chosen king. As we read their story, we get the impression that God is intervening by preventing Saul from capturing David. David always stays clear of Saul, in one incident the two were separated by a mountain, thereby preventing a clash between the two. Neither knows the exact location of the other. There are several close calls but David always manages to slip away. We understand this good fortune as God protecting David in order to keep his promise to make David the next king.

Do we have something similar to David? We believe in David’s God and we have God’s promises to us from the Bible. But do we have David’s confidence in God’s provision and protection? David was not spared from encountering several close calls. He was not spared the hardship of being constantly on the run. He was forced to flee into enemy territory. He lived by his wits. He lived with uncertainty—will Saul find him or not? But he never gave up. True; he resigned himself to living on the run, to feeling the heat of Saul’s jealous rage, to not having a trustworthy ally and thus being on his own.

If this is our lot, how do we fare? Have we resigned ourselves to defeat, to giving up? Have we become so disappointed with God that we’re disillusioned with him? Have we given up on God thinking that it’s a waste of time to continue clinging to him? Are we ready to turn elsewhere for help? Or will we be like David? Firmly entrenched in the Lord, although concerned that God has not answered his prayer for deliverance from Saul. Maybe impatient as one of the lament psalms reveals. Feeling desperate, burdened with uncertainty about the next step. Stress and anxiety are daily realities. Trusting in God is essential. But we still have responsibility to analyze our situation, weigh our options, form a plan of action, then act. In taking action, we exercise trust that God will guide our steps and enable us to achieve a measure of success. Faith is not hoping for the best and just sitting there waiting for something wonderful to happen. Sometimes perhaps. But often it means hoping for the best as we take action. Faith means we’re practical, identify something that might work and doing it.

One of the biggest challenges David faced, I believe, is the uncertainty as to when all his problems will be solved, when the threat that Saul poses will go away, when he can experience a normal life of ease and security. Reading ahead, we know that eventually Saul will die never having captured David and that David will become king as God promised. Yet, even as king later in life, David still faced challenges from adversaries foreign and domestic. He will be known as a man of war in contrast to his son Solomon, a man of peace. Then for us, one of our biggest challenges, like David, is the uncertainty as to how long we will continue to wrestle with stress and anxiety, doubt and hardship. Like David we pray for God’s help and we wait. But God does not answer as yet. And like David we grow impatient and restless. Maybe we’re tempted to abandon God and try some other solution. But, like David, will we resist the temptation and cling to God and not give up?

Life is not easy. Hence, we should expect to experience some level of stress and anxiety, even doubt and uncertainty. Failure at something is not necessarily a failed life. Consider what Michael Jordan, considered by many to be one of the greatest basketball players, is reputed to have said: “I’ve failed over and over again in life and that’s why I succeed. Failure makes me work harder. I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Failure can be a learning opportunity and it can motivate us to try harder and smarter so that success results. But as Jordan has stated, “I can’t accept not trying.” That attitude reflects a person who’s already defeated, and so won’t even try. That person is a slave to fear, the fear of failing or the fear of looking foolish in failing. For us Asians, that translates to shame. Does failure shame us?

Here we need to clarify our long-term objectives. Achieving them is the definition of success. Along the way we may suffer setbacks, failure. So long as these do not permanently distract us but serve as learning, correcting, and growing opportunities that enables us to proceed forward, then these failures are minor over which we overcome.

Next time we will look at the issue of hope in a higher power. But for now, I close episode 14 of our series on work, career, and vocation. Until then have a safe and fulfilling day.

Questions and Comments

1. Recall a failure. How did you respond to it?

2. Did a failure lead to eventual success for you? How did the failure help?

3. How was God involved in your failure and success?