Fear of failure. Fear of not being good at it. Fear that you won’t be noticed or make a difference. Fear.
It can paralyze you. It makes you ineffective. It stops you from doing the things that your soul craves.
Fear tells you that you won’t do good enough. Fear tells you that somebody else would do it much better, so why try.
Fear of not measuring up and failing has stopped me many many times. It’s kept me complacent… Or not complacent but feeling like there’s nothing I can do that would be successful. So why try that thing that’s been burning in my soul? Why move forward with the thing that I know I could do but fear I would fail at?
Oh I’m so very thankful that my daughters are brave. That they try new things without a second thought of failure. I’ve always let them try. I’ve always told them that they won’t know until they try and that if they fail then it’s ok! At least they tried and God has something else in store for them.
Why is it that I can give advice that’s true but I can’t take that same advice myself?
It’s frustrating at best. That “want” to do something but then FEAR of Failure says: “nah, you better not.”
I know that my God can do immeasurably more than I could ask or think.
I know that I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I know that the same power that conquered the grave LIVES in me!
Yet, I don’t always apply that knowledge. I just pass it out to others. Wanting to help them not be like me.
I have dreams. Spoken and unspoken. Life is passing me by. I’m not making some of those dreams a reality. AND I COULD! I can.
I get a little brave. A little bold. Then….. Fear pops up and I say, “nah… I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
And fear for me is not like a scared of the dark fear. It’s more like a feeling that makes me stay COMPLACENT.
I am working on it. Asking God to make me brave. Asking God to make clear the way in which I should go.
If you are like me, I pray that this post shows you that you aren’t alone. Because it’s easy and habitual to put on a BRAVE face. To seem content and as if you are truly living out your calling.
But are you? Or do you know that you have more to give and more to offer and like me, you keep stuffing it back in a drawer?
Psalm 34:4 ~ I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
He is always faithful. Prayer is the answer for sure. Constant prayer.
2 Timothy 1:7 ~ For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
He makes clear the way. We may not really be listening and hearing him. It’s when I turn down the volume in my head and tune in to His voice instead that the fears and doubt subside. When I stop making it about me and rest in the truth that all of my strength and anything good in me comes from Him and Him alone.
With Love,
Hope For The Broken 