Aim To Miss

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith…
Philippians 3:7-9

Yesterday I got to watch the film, “33” with my family. It is about the 33 men that got trapped underground alive for 69 days in Chile. The online article at http://www.news.com.au/ states the following:

The collapse of the San José Mine on August 5, 2010, became international news, as 33 men were trapped underground for 69 days, battling starvation and hopelessness as the world waited anxiously for news of their rescue.

The San José Mine was more than 100 years old, and a century of “digging and blasting” had all but worn away its internal structure. The mine was known for “primitive working conditions and perfunctory safety practices,” including escape tunnels that were “useless in an emergency because they lack the ladders necessary for the miners to use them.”

On the afternoon of the 5th, the miners heard the explosion, and were enveloped in dust, as the ramps leading to the surface collapsed.

“A single block of diorite, as tall as a 45-story building, has broken off from the rest of the mountain and is falling through the layers of the mine … causing a chain reaction as the mountain above it collapses, too.” This piece, the men would later learn, was about 550 feet tall and weighed 770,000 tons — “twice the weight of the Empire State Building.”

The movie was such a heartfelt story on the lives of these workers. They battled, fought, starved and BELIEVED that they were going to be saved–all 33 of them.

They had finally been rescued after a few attempts where they kept missing the mark of the underground safe room. Until finally the workers of the rescue team decided that they would ‘AIM TO MISS.’

What a concept!

They kept trying to hit the mark based on their knowledge of the inner structure. Yet the very foundations of the place had shaken. So every time the drill went through–it missed! Until they decided to try to MISS! This would perhaps be their last attempt at rescuing these men. They would learn by their mistakes and rely on an idea that they would focus on missing the target as a last approach.

This worked!

What we can learn from this is our teachable ways and gained knowledge doesn’t always work effectively. Sometimes we learn the most valuable lessons from our mistakes and not perfection. It would benefit us if we stop trying to control the situation and just let God be God!  We must relinquish being in control of our own life and allow God to have the control He needs to lead us through. It is called a full surrender. This is that vulnerable place where we bring everything to God through prayer. It is where we seek His infallible word for direction. It is where we trust that this intimate fellowship will guide us in ministry. His word is proven and will never take us off course.

This is the concept we live by…

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:8-11

For God’s way in doing things is not the way we would think. If these men kept striving for perfection based on what they knew they would have never pulled these men safely out in time. It is when they AIMED to miss–that they achieved success. When we are in an impossible situations, we are placed on grounds for God to move!!!

We learn by our mistakes. We believe that God will do things so much better than we could ever. When we entrust everything over to Him. Just as the apostle wrote, all things he acquired here and all the knowledge-he counts them as rubbish so that he would gain Christ!!! Another translation says, “I count those things as garbage; as filth; as dung heap!”

What’s it worth, when it is something we produced on our own strength? For when it is produced by the POWER OF GOD… that is worth counting!

There was at least ONE man down there by the name of Mario Sepúlveda, that believed and set faith for the rest! He told the men, “We will not die but all 33 of us will come out alive from this mine!!!” And just as he declared, so it was done for them. We need to get fully persuaded and fully convinced that God will do the impossible.. even through MISTAKES!!! Even through drastic and dangerous circumstances! Through mess and through failures, God will make it all right, when we aim to miss and trust that His plan will NEVER be a failed attempt!

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had POWER TO DO what He had promised!
Romans 4:20-21

When we have aimed to miss…God has power to do!