The Fear of Failing—Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about the fear of failure. Today I want to talk about it again, but in light of our purpose as Christians…namely, to reconcile the world to God.

In 2 Corinthians 5, we are told about the ministry of reconciliation, and what that entails. Basically what Paul is getting at is that people are spiritual beings, not just the flesh and blood that we see walking around. Every person is to be viewed from this spiritual standpoint. When we do that, we stop seeing people as flesh and blood that is here today and gone tomorrow, but as living souls that will live forever in one of two places…heaven or hell.

When we have this perspective, we begin to realize the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says that anyone who is in Christ has become something new. We long to see this renewal in the life of everyone we come into contact with. Now here’s the interesting part of all of this: as Christ’s ambassadors (vs. 20), we have been given the message and the ministry of reconciliation (vs. 18) to share with those who are dying without Christ.

That’s a pretty huge responsibility when you get right down to it. It’s enough to make anyone fear the prospect of failing at it. But here’s the wonderful thing about this message: all we are called to do is share it. We are not called to reconcile anyone, we are called to share the message and ministry of reconciliation. We are called to show people that they can be reconciled to God…not reconcile them ourselves. The fact of the matter is that God has already done the prerequisite work of reconciliation when He sent Christ to die on the cross. That’s why when people are now “in Christ” they are a “new creation.” God does it through the work Christ already did.

So what does that mean for us? It means that we don’t have to fear failure. Let me put that another way…we should fear failing our task of sharing this message, but we shouldn’t fear that people will reject it, because some of them will. But their receptiveness is not the issue. The issue is our obedience in sharing the message of the Gospel.

So, when you think about it those terms, there really is nothing to fear!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Share in the comments below how you seek to share this message of reconciliation with the world around you, and maybe even some of the results!

The Fear of Failing

Most of us, in the course of our lives, feel a great fear of failure. We want to be successful, right, thought well of. But the truth of the matter is that many times that fear of failure keeps us from even trying in the first place.

  

The fear of failure is something that can cripple a person. It can keep them from trying to do something they really wanted to try; like start a business, start a relationship, or even share the Gospel. The fear of failure can also take someone to opposite extreme of putting so much into these things that it then becomes an obsession and other parts of their lives begin to suffer. But fear of failure is just that…FEAR. And John tells us that “the one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Then how do we deal with fear? We rest in Jesus. We rest in His peace, and we fix our minds on Him. Philippians 4:6-7 tell us that we need to pray about those things we fear, and thank God for the things He has already done and will continue to do. Then we have been promised a peace that makes the world around us think we’re off our nut (gone crazy)…because it is “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding…” That means it seems crazy to you and to the rest of the world…it doesn’t make sense.

But here is the thing about this peace…it guards your heart (that part of you that no one else knows about…that part of you that is who you really are) AND your mind (that part of you that thinks, reasons, makes choices). So your life is protected by this peace, and your thoughts are protected by this peace. Meaning? It means that you will be okay…and that, given your circumstances of fear, won’t make any sense to anyone…not even you!

So when you find yourself on the cusp of a brand new adventure and you’re feeling a bit anxious, give prayer and thanksgiving a try. Who knows? You might find the peace you’ve always been looking for.

Tell us how you have found this peace to be real in your life in the comment section below. We always love to hear from you!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Pray About Everything

"Be anxious for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

--Philippians 4:6-7

There is something in these verses I want you to grab hold of because if we fail to do so, it will cripple our prayer life. The idea that I want you to hold onto is the very first phrase of these verses... "Be anxious for nothing." Another translation puts it this way, "Don't worry about anything!" Does this mean it is a sin to worry? No, but if we allow our worry to steal our peace, then it is a sin. 

Worry is something that we can't always control. As parents we worry that our kids won't learn from us all they need to be productive members of society. As children, we sometimes worry that our adult parents will need care beyond what we can give them. As employees, we worry that we might not have a job to go to in the morning. These are legitimate worries that people have. But when those worries begin to invade the peace that that God wants us to have, then it becomes a problem.

Paul says that the cure for worry is prayer. When we find ourselves beginning to worry about this or that or the other thing, it is time to go to prayer. Actually, the time to go to prayer is way before worry and anxiety begin to show their ugly faces. We are to give all that we have and all that we are to God, not so we can be blessed or rewarded, but so that He might be glorified in our lives.

So all this to say, keep worry at bay and find that inner peace that says, "God is here with me, and I will not be afraid of my circumstances, or my fears!"

Thanks for reading our blog today, and we'll see you on Sunday!