{FAITH OVER FEAR} The Fear Of Failure

I went to the movies this weekend and, unlike most Americans, I did not watch Noah. I went to see Divergent!

I am a sucker for those totalitarian films, which have the loan rebel who goes against the status quo. I love movies where the lead characters refuse to conform! Maybe I secretly want to be the selfless hero who sacrifices all for love of country and family. The one who risks it all for the weaker man!

Or, maybe it’s the spirit of justice inside me that wants to see those who are being controlled overcome and those with nothing – win!

When I watch believers in Christ battle with their fear, their oppression, their past addictions, their identity, or self-worth, I want to scream RISE UP, you’ve been made new in Christ! I want to shake them and remind them they’ve got the power of the living God residing inside of them! I want to push and incite them to stand up and FIGHT!

There’s a line in the movie Divergent, when the male character Four says to the female lead Trice, “Fear does something different in you, it makes you come alive.” 

Surprised at how I identified with that line, I leaned over and asked my husband if that sounded like someone he knew, and he whispered “honey you’re a divergent.” 🙂

Do I get afraid? Absolutely, I do! I’m afraid to fail all the time!

Daily I battle the fear whether or not I am doing the right thing in this ministry. I struggle with the fear of failing my children, failing God, or failing my team. I wrestle with many of the same fear battles others do. Yet, I refuse to let fear shut me down.

Part of it is my personality, the little girl inside of me who says ‘Oh yea, I’ll show you!’ Yet, the other part of me is the woman of God who came alive when I realized,

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

Fear insights the rebel inside of me! It gives me permission to fight back against the odds of failure! It causes me to push myself beyond what I can do, and tap into the Holy Spirit which is alive and active inside of me!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Call me foolish, but I take that scripture literally!

I’ve learned that my greatest battle begins and ends in my mind. My greatest opponent, is me! Fear stands and taunts me, but I push back, and I push back as hard as I can!

The way I look at it, if I’m going to fail, it’s not going to be because I didn’t fight all the way down!

{NOW YOUR TURN} Does fear shut you down and push you forward? What do you fear failing at? What life verse pushes you to move beyond fear?

 

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