Many, when asked what their greatest fear is, would say without hesitation, “fear of failure.” But does fear of failure help or hurt when trying to achieve the impossible? Having a fear of failure can cripple us from even trying and taking the necessary risks to reach our dreams and purpose because we are too focused on the what-ifs. What if I am not capable of running a successful company, being a great spouse, or parent, or whatever other desires and dreams we all may have? When you boil it down, fear of the what-ifs seems to be life’s most significant obstacle, often forcing us not to take risks and keeping us in the realm of comfort. The resolution, though, is not to try to rid ourselves of this fear but rather to redirect what we fear.
I realized that being terrified to fail, is not a sign of us being timid or humbled at all but much more of a reflection of the wickedness that is in our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). These fears that cripple us show that we have a false sense of pride of who is sovereign over our lives as if we or anything else is in cotrol over whether we succeed or not. If we truly trust God, we will know that “ALL things work together for the good” (Romans 8:28), which includes our failures. God allows us to make mistakes and fall, so that we can continue to lean on His understanding and not our own (Proverbs 3:5-6). We all have an innate tendency to revel in our victories and take pride in our successes, rather than being humbled by them. Our victories should cause us to turn our focus and attention on Him, praising and worshipping Him for the accomplishments in our lives (James 1:17).
One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” This scripture combines two different concepts: first, fearing God is the beginning of wisdom, and second, having a fear of God is based on our knowledge of who God is. Here in Proverbs 9:10, the Hebrew word Yir’ah is used for fear, which means fear of (God), respect, reverence, and piety. This fear of God that we are called to have is the foundation on which wisdom is built. Fear comes naturally to most, but having a fear/reverence of God must be taught and learned through Scripture or personal experiences.
Once we understand who God is and that He is Lord over our lives and situations, not we, we would see that our “failures” should not be something to fear as Christians, but rather a tool that God can utilize to draw us closer to Him. Paul said instead of boasting about his strengths, he thought it was more blessed to boast about his weaknesses, being that “God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses” ( 2 Corinthians 12:9). Failures highlight our inadequacies and flaws, helping us to see our need for God. Although victories bring joy, they do not tend to bring self-reflection and growth as much as our failures do.
God has given us all a calling to do things that often appear to be impossible, which ultimately brings God glory, because it is by His doing that we can accomplish anything (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Jesus said, “Greater works shall you do…” (John 14:12) (greater works in quantity, not in quality), which would put fear in anyone’s heart, in light of all the miraculous works Jesus did. When we truly know and fear God, we can become like Paul, who said, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Yes, you (and I) can do whatever He calls us to do, regardless of outward circumstances or what we may think is impossible for us to do. A Biblical concept regarding the possibility of risking it all to succeed in the calling God has given us is not to shy away from doing God’s will, but rather to face those moments with a courageous mindset, saying, “I fear nothing but God!”