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No Fear of Failure
When was the last time you failed? Was it a big or small mistake, a breakdown or a collapse - or have you suppressed almost all memories of your failure? We tend to really hate failure. Failing makes us feel ashamed. It threatens our identity - as if our identity could be built on consistent, flawless performance.
We need to remember that failure is a significant and important part of life. The only way a child will ever learn to walk is by failing thousands of times. Most, if not all, people of great accomplishment have a long string of failures to which they can very easily point. Winston Churchill, widely regarded as one of world's great wartime heroes, defined success as "going from failure to failure without loss of attitude." The best way to deal with a fear of failure is to press ahead, try some new things and fail a few times. You will find that the fear of shame associated with the fear of failure is ten times worse than the actual failure. The paralyzing questions related to, "what if I fail?" are very often tools of the enemy that keep your life experiences and impact small.
Can you think of a biblical character that was significantly used by God whose life was not peppered with significant failure? Let's reflect on just a few: Adam - apple; Abraham - Hagar; Moses - Egyptian; David - Bathsheba; Solomon - wives/idolatry; Peter - denial; Paul - persecution. The Bible is raw and honest in its "3-D" portrayal of real people. It doesn't hide mistakes and failures, and often even discloses people's motivations. And, these flaws and mess-ups occur throughout the characters' lives, not just when they were young and didn't know any better. So, if God is not so w3wfreaked out about failure, why are we?
We are afraid that if we fail we will experience rejection, loneliness, shame or death. However, the perfect love of God drives out fear from its lodging in our inner man. God's love dislodges that paralyzing fear because at its core fear has to do with alienation and punishment. (1 John 4:18) In Christ God has permanently absorbed and taken our punishment and we have been eternally reconciled. (Colossians 2:13-15) This is the incredible, disarming power of God's love. Can you freshly receive this miraculous omnipotent love in Christ right now?
You do not need to let the power of canceled sin or the paralysis of potential failure stop you from boldly pursuing what you think God may have placed in your heart. Stop letting a fear of failure stop you from living. Jesus has paid your price; He has set you free from this kind of bondage to perfectionism (Galatians 5:1); He has opened the gate so you can enter in to abundant living. (John 10:10) Go for it; live freely and boldly in Christ!
Fearlessly with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
www.rolcboston.org
We need to remember that failure is a significant and important part of life. The only way a child will ever learn to walk is by failing thousands of times. Most, if not all, people of great accomplishment have a long string of failures to which they can very easily point. Winston Churchill, widely regarded as one of world's great wartime heroes, defined success as "going from failure to failure without loss of attitude." The best way to deal with a fear of failure is to press ahead, try some new things and fail a few times. You will find that the fear of shame associated with the fear of failure is ten times worse than the actual failure. The paralyzing questions related to, "what if I fail?" are very often tools of the enemy that keep your life experiences and impact small.
Can you think of a biblical character that was significantly used by God whose life was not peppered with significant failure? Let's reflect on just a few: Adam - apple; Abraham - Hagar; Moses - Egyptian; David - Bathsheba; Solomon - wives/idolatry; Peter - denial; Paul - persecution. The Bible is raw and honest in its "3-D" portrayal of real people. It doesn't hide mistakes and failures, and often even discloses people's motivations. And, these flaws and mess-ups occur throughout the characters' lives, not just when they were young and didn't know any better. So, if God is not so w3wfreaked out about failure, why are we?
We are afraid that if we fail we will experience rejection, loneliness, shame or death. However, the perfect love of God drives out fear from its lodging in our inner man. God's love dislodges that paralyzing fear because at its core fear has to do with alienation and punishment. (1 John 4:18) In Christ God has permanently absorbed and taken our punishment and we have been eternally reconciled. (Colossians 2:13-15) This is the incredible, disarming power of God's love. Can you freshly receive this miraculous omnipotent love in Christ right now?
You do not need to let the power of canceled sin or the paralysis of potential failure stop you from boldly pursuing what you think God may have placed in your heart. Stop letting a fear of failure stop you from living. Jesus has paid your price; He has set you free from this kind of bondage to perfectionism (Galatians 5:1); He has opened the gate so you can enter in to abundant living. (John 10:10) Go for it; live freely and boldly in Christ!
Fearlessly with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
www.rolcboston.org
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