Fear of Failure
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
So often we feel that we have failed, not only God, but in life. We've lost jobs, been unsuccessful in our many efforts, had marriages or relationships end, and other failures as the world counts failure.
When we look back at our lives and the relationships that no longer exist or the decisions we made that seem now to have been wrong, it is difficult to feel good about ourselves and where we are now. We worry about what others may think of us. We want to be looked at as successful. This is pride.
Pride is not always about bad thing. We can be proud of our accomplishments for God, for finishing something we started, etc. But when pride makes us feel worthless or causes us to pretend that we are something we are not, lying to ourselves and others, then pride becomes a sin.
It is difficult to remember that God has been with us all along, even when we turned away from Him. He has used our decisions, even when they weren't the best, to lead us to Him. If we love the Lord and have chosen Him to lead our lives, then we have succeeded because that is what life is all about and all that God cares about. Knowing Him and making Him known in this world is the only thing we need to be successful at in this world.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Even when we fail in our walk with Christ, He never leaves us and never counts us as failures. Jesus spent time in a human body and knows all about our struggles. He was tempted as we are, knows that we are not perfect, and that we will fall. He will help us rise again and keep going. We can rejoice knowing that, though the world may think we have failed, God helps us rise again and keep going with Him as our guide. If we don't lose our salvation we have succeeded at the greatest task and will spend eternity with Him.
For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Proverbs 24:16
If you are going the wrong way, turn around and remember what is really important. Put down your pride in self and turn your eyes to your true calling. This world will pass away, but what we do for God is eternal. God has forgiven you. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself and keep going.
Jeremiah, say this to the people of Judah: This is what the Lord says: You know if a man falls down, he gets up again. And if a man goes the wrong way, he turns around and comes back. Jeremiah 8:4



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