"Those who fear failure are paralyzed by the 'r word': risk."

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book, Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World (p. 34). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And that is so true.

David says, "They may undermine their own efforts without even realizing it in an attempt to escape the anxiety of looming failure. Have you known people like that? I have—gifted people who might have done great things in life but wouldn’t, and couldn’t, because they were protecting themselves from disappointment."

He goes on, "Obviously, the fear of failure is not a modern phenomenon; it is a timeless human fear. Some of God’s choicest servants through the ages displayed this fear in spite of God’s promises of success. Their stories provide insight into how God responds to human fears. In every case, He draws alongside His servant with assurance and affirmation."

He continues, "I love to read biographies of Christian leaders because they remind me of the principle of divine perspective. As God has been faithful to His followers in the past, He will be faithful to us in the present. He has put no limits on what He is willing to do for you and me. His actions might even exceed what He has done in the past. He is able 'to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think' (Ephesians 3:20).

"Fear of failure is nothing new—nor is overcoming it. Think of the seventeenth-century Pilgrims who left their homes to find freedom of worship in the New World. They must have been daunted by the prospect of crossing the Atlantic in their tiny ships and surviving in an uncharted wilderness. But they overcame their fear because they had faith in God’s power and provision. That is the benefit of perspective—it allows us to see beyond the trials that frighten us in the here and now."

He then says, "God has never called anyone to a task and then abandoned him or her by the side of the road. So if we fear what God wants us to do, our perspective needs adjusting so that we focus not on the size of the job but on the size of God."

And that is so true, isn't it? Yes, yes! #continuethought

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