Episode Details

Do you feel like you’re failing because your kids’ character, or math skills, or writing aren’t where they should be? Did you plan to read more books, finish more lessons, and make more healthy meals than you did? Or do you feel like you’re failing personally in your faith, organization, or health? If so, know that I can relate. I’m Dr. Melanie Wilson and this is The Homeschool Sanity Show where I will share three reasons you think you’re failing and how you can just stop that already. Seriously, I want you to feel better after listening to this episode. So grab a cup of coffee, some laundry to fold, or some sneakers and let’s get over this failure fixation, shall we?

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The first reason you feel like you’re failing is because you’re focused on your weaknesses.

I have always thought I homeschooled six kids in spite of my weaknesses in organization, patience, and focus. Then I watched a video clip of Pastor Emmanuel Iren discussing Jonah’s impact on Nineveh and my whole perspective changed. I was likewise focused on Jonah’s weaknesses. He was bitter and disobedient. But he was the perfect prophet to accomplish God’s purposes. Before Jonah arrived, the people of Nineveh believed in a god that was a man who emerged from a fish.

You’re going to catch on to this quickly, so I will just say it. God chose Jonah because he knew he would run to the boat to avoid preaching to the Ninevites. He didn’t choose Jonah in spite of this weakness. Jonah did have a very good prophet characteristic, however. He told the truth. The men said, “What up?” and he told them he was running from God. The men apparently thought this God was just an average God that was no concern to them. Until the storm threatened them. They cast lots to see who was responsible, and who made the lot fall on Jonah? God. I love that Jonah continues to be honest and says, “Yep, it’s me. I’m responsible for the storm. Throw me overboard.” That was no kind of honesty that these men were used to and they were scared. They threw out everything else but Jonah to survive the storm, but as you know it didn’t work. They threw Jonah out and prayed to the one true God for mercy.

A big fish swallows Jonah and delivers him to the shores of Nineveh where the people can see him being spit out. Can you imagine? They’re rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Jonah is in a much more obedient state of mind after his time out in a fish. He tells the people to repent and they are willing to listen to anything this man from God has to say.

Now what does this have to do with why you feel like you’re failing? If you are focused on your weaknesses as a source of failure, you’ve missed the boat. God may very well have chosen you to homeschool your