Joshua 7:4-5
"So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water."
One of the best teachers in life are the mistakes of others. Certainly, we would not want others to make costly mistakes, but we should not waste the opportunity to learn from them. Much of the experience a young person gathers to start out their life will come from the experiences and mistakes of others.
Israel had crossed over the Jordan River. They had conquered the famed walls of Jericho and conquered that city. Their fame quickly spread throughout the land of Canaan. The next city they faced on the way to conquering the Promised Land was a small city named Ai. Instead of sending all the troops to conquer the city, they only sent a few and saw a great defeat. This defeat came because of some common mistakes many people make on a daily basis.
First, they went without prayer. You will notice as Joshua sent the troops to Ai, not one petition of prayer was sent up to God. Instead, they went under their own power and never worded one prayer. Christians on a daily basis start things without ever wording a prayer to God to ask for His help. They presumptuously think it is a small task that they know how to do; thus, they go without prayer. Let me kindly remind you that you always need God's help. A word of prayer before you start anything is needed. Before you start your day, pray to God. Before you drive down the road, pray. Before you start your day at work or school, pray. No matter how big or small the task or project may be, never start without wording a prayer to God for His help.
Second, they went with a half-hearted effort. Instead of sending all the troops to fight Ai, they only sent a few. Friend, every thing you do should be done with all your effort. If something is not worth your whole effort, then it is not worth any effort. That means you should always do your best with everything. What you may see as unimportant could be the most important task. If you never take anything lightly in life, then everything will be a big task worthy of your whole effort.
Third, they went with a false self-confidence in their own power. They felt they could do it on their own because they knew how to do it. Herein is one of the greatest mistakes Christians make on a daily basis. They perform daily tasks without once asking God for His power upon their life. I'm not just talking about praying, but I'm talking about being empowered by the Holy Spirit to do every task. We have trained our flesh how to do right, so instead of asking God to empower us to do those tasks we do them under the power of our own flesh. You always need God's power to do each task. Never become so confident in your own power that you don't ask the Holy Spirit to empower you.
Do you find these common mistakes in your life? Friend, these common mistakes come with deadly consequences. If Joshua had known what these mistakes would have costed, he would not have allowed them. You have seen the results of these mistakes. Don't make the same mistakes. If you will always approach everything you do in life as a big task or project, then you will never become so comfortable that you make these common mistakes.