I Give Up Fear of Failure...With a Leap of Faith

9th Day of Lenten Devotional Series
Guest Post by: Sarah Capito, The Presbyterian Church

Joshua 1:9 New International Version (NIV) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Doing something wrong is the worst. That bottomed out feeling in the pit of your stomach that happens when you realize a deadline has been missed, the rising anxiety based on the knowledge that others are aware of your shortcomings after a botched performance, and the lowering of self-worth that we all experience when a task is done incorrectly are just a few of the physical and emotional reactions bound to happen. It’s the worst.

But I would venture to say that even more awful than actually failing at something is the constant dread of worry that we will fail. This "fear of failure" creates dissonance and discord in our lives and ushers in a new dimension of worry. The added stress, time spent over-thinking, and paranoia regarding even the smallest of tasks can cause steadfast individuals to come crashing down. Though these fears are generally irrational and unfounded, sometimes they alone are strong enough to actually cause...failure.
As a musician, creative artist, and teacher, this is an extremely real issue for me. In fact, as I write this (my first ever blog post) and cautiously put thought to word, ironically, I am battling the very thing I'm campaigning against. Though I am not a “glass half empty” kind of person, in times of stress, busy schedules, and performances looming in the distance, it can be difficult to envision success. “What if’s” abound and instead of relishing the process, my mind doesn’t stop spinning. By the time I am ‘prepared,’ I have talked myself out of enjoying it, and am convinced of my imminent downfall.
But what if we leapt into our insecurities head first, and with a spirit of confident curiosity, as opposed to an over-methodical, angst-ridden emotional roller coaster? What if our confident spirit came directly from the knowledge that our God will never abandon us or stop believing in us, so why would we betray ourselves in that way?
“You make me brave, You make me brave, No fear can hinder now the promises you made.” (Bethel, You Make Me Brave)
Our hearts can be changed, with a shift in mindset and turning over our worries to God. We can let go of fears, insecurities, and anxieties. I realize it is so much easier said than done. But instead of being fearful, let’s be willing. Instead of living life afraid of what’s around the corner or concerned about possible mistakes (which are going to happen, no matter how hard we try to avoid them), let’s embrace the unknown with reckless abandon, a leap of faith, and knowing that God has us in his hands. Because if God is for us, no one (including ourselves) can be against us, remember? Let’s be brave. God, it’s hard to live life in fear that we will do something wrong. Our inadequacies and shortcomings often feel like failure. This is such a struggle, and often we end with feeling not good enough, and living life afraid that if we are not perfect, we will disappoint those around us, ourselves, and ultimately You. Help us to approach our fear of failure with a brave and courageous spirit, knowing that you are in our corner, and that you are with us wherever we go.