The Fear of Failure manifests itself into rationalization of "quitting while you're ahead"
Being afraid to loose, the fear makes everything sound like too much of a risk to even try, and pretty soon things that maybe were even natural seem so very hard.
The opposite of the fear of failure would be the expectation of greatness or success, to simply believe that one way or another the best is yet to come. The great news is that we get to define what success looks like for us along the way! The question is how do we move from being afraid to fail to expecting something great? I believe the answer is taking this a step further and recognizing that the opposite of fear isn't courage, it's love and not love the feeling, but Love the Person, Jesus.
Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear
When receiving the perfect love of Jesus, fear has no choice but to leave, just in the same way that when we infuse that love into a situation, we feel strengthened, encouraged. Giving and receiving the love of Jesus reshapes fear, it changes atmospheres, and changes states of being. God's love is not conditional, unlike fear and unlike feelings, His love is holy, divine, forever faithful, and endless. One way to say it is:
Agape love multiplies and creates endless possibilities.
Faith Won't Look or Feel Rational
Another way to spell fear is "irrational rationality". Over analyzing. Over criticizing. How do we distinguish between making poor decisions and irrational faith? By practicing the art of being spirit led and remembering that anytime we are challenging ourselves in our faith, it will go against our feelings.
Another way we combat the lie that our faith is irrational is trusting that God is good. He knows us better than he knows ourselves. There are many verses that point to God's character in testing our faith to teach us how to hear him and follow him.
"He knows the way that I take; When he has tested me, I will come out as gold." Job 23:10
Faith Compels & Propels
While fear wants us to stay, and even better move backward - faith calls us up higher, compels, propels us forward, causes us to believe for greater things. Not to say we're not grateful for what we have, but there is motivation to thrive! Fear may see no way out, while faith sees a mountain being moved. Fear paints a picture that goes against every promise of God and to steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life that He has for us. God's promises are more than we can ever ask think, and He assures us that they are even more than we can imagine in our wildest dreams. It's safe to say, if were not being called into deeper waters, we're not stepping into the promised land.
Trust Fall Into Jesus
Part of overcoming the fear of failure is first recognizing and being okay to admit that there is a struggle. Not sure where it originated? God will show you and He will comfort you along the way until you're ready to surrender the fear over to Him and His perfect love. Falling into the arms of Jesus, His love is infinitely deep, we just keep falling. Sometimes it can feel like we're breaking. We're being transformed into who we truly are and into His likeness again, and again, and again, ever unraveling new layers, staring into an endless pool of reflection.
I want to invite you to a writing prompt...
If this feels like it could be helpful for you... spend a few minutes answering these questions for yourself today: "How am I feeling? What do I need? What am I learning?"
"I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you and to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
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