A placid lake shines silver beneath the sinking sun.  As we sit along the water, a friend tells me I should share my writing with the world. I want to take her advice, but I’m not sure how to stop fearing failure and trust God with my words. I’ve been writing all my life, but this time feels different.  It feels less like aimless wandering and more like a calling.

Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference.

Sometimes you just want God to write your next step in the clouds or dampen a sweatshirt on dry ground at dawn. You wish he’d tell you exactly what to do and when to do it.

I tell my friend I have no intentions of telling anyone at all that I’ve started writing again. When she asks why, I say, “Because if I fail, I don’t want anyone to know I tried.”

My friend laughs and tells me I should write about this very topic.

I wonder if you’ve been here.

I wonder if you’ve buried your dream—or ignored it—because you were afraid of failing.

 

How to Stop Fearing Failure and Trust God

A few years have passed since the conversation by the lake.

Today, I sit by the water and surrender this calling for the thousandth time. I consider the roads I’ve walked since I started seriously writing.  I think of the times I’ve feared failure and the times when my greatest fears came to life.

It hasn’t all been easy or smooth.  But it has been worth it.  I’m reminded that the fear of failure will almost always inhibit my ability to stay faithful to God’s calling.

God often guides us into callings that feel risky. He also leads us to engage the support of community.  And faithfulness to a calling almost always includes vulnerability.

Are you afraid of failing in a place that matters deeply to you? Do you fear failing as a parent, friend, mentor, or child of God? Are you afraid you’ll fail as you pursue your dream, launch your vision, or unveil your hopes to the world? Do you want to know how to stop fearing failure and trust God with your dreams?  These words are for you:

 

How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure (3 Ways):

 

1. Remember this: The knot in your stomach doesn’t mean God’s not in it.

When God calls you into a new endeavor, the change will require you to step out of your comfort zone. It might feel risky.

The knot in your stomach doesn’t mean God’s not in it.

Take steps to discern whether your decision is wise and whether God is in it (explore these steps right here). If you sense God is in it, be brave enough to follow him. God often waits for us to take the first step before he reveals his provision.

 

2. Use fear as a prompt to remind you to run to Jesus.

Throughout the past decade, God has transformed the way I respond to fear. Instead of cowering, freezing, or faking strength, I’m learning to use fear as a prompt to run to Jesus. The minute fear rises up from within me, I run to the Lord.

I might run to him by speaking a fear-fighting Bible verse.

Sometimes, I run to him by lifting my heart in worship and singing a fear-fighting song.

Other times, I imagine the glory of the Triune God seated on his heavenly throne. I imagine I’m a part of the scene described in Revelation 4.

When fear nudges you to run to Jesus, the enemy is defeated with his own weapon.

 

3. Don’t fear the cost of your obedience.

There is a cost to following Jesus.  Sometimes that cost is your reputation. Sometimes it means you make yourself vulnerable by choosing to be faithful to what God has called you to do instead of silently cowering in fear.

When God calls you to invest in the lives of others, there might be a cost to your family. When God calls you to follow him to an unknown land, there might be a cost to your friendships and your bank account.

Don’t fear the cost. The promise is that there is also a reward for those who faithfully follow Jesus to the mountaintops of service and surrender.

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If you’re afraid of failing in some area today, may this be the moment when you commit to pursuing faithfulness instead of catering to your fear. You can trust God to provide for you in every way when you follow him with a pure heart.