Fear of Failure
For a large part of my life, I’ve been afraid of failure. With multiple roles, there’s plenty of opportunities to feel like I’ve not measured up. And to make matters worse, our society seems to operate on the belief that our value is tied to our success.
- Study hard – become a college graduate
- Practice the scales – become a pianist
- Perform well at your job – become a manager
- Learn the law – become a lawyer
And the list goes on.
At any point, we may fail in one of our roles by not performing well. And if we don’t truly understand our value, these failures can leave us doubting our worth. It’s natural to look at the world’s system of achievements to determine our worth, but as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to marinate on our value in Him.
True Value
God sent His only Son to rescue us from this fallen world and its set of faulty values. Without Christ, we’re doomed to allow what we do to determine who we are.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we need clarity, a complete overhaul of our thinking about achievements and our worth.
Consider the following verses: For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10).
All the deity of God dwells in Christ, and through our relationship with Him, we have been made complete.
Digging deeper into the word ‘complete,’ we understand that it literally means God has filled us to the brim, supplied us generously, ensured nothing is lacking, completed us in every way, and made us perfect. [1]
In Christ, we’re filled to the brim in Him, overflowing, needing nothing. The imagery is stunning, but how do we live in awareness of our fullness in Christ amid a world system built on valuing achievements?
What Does Being Filled to Overflowing Live Like?
We must focus our thinking on our completeness in Christ and allow this truth to dictate our choices.
Focusing our Thinking
We need to saturate our minds with verses like: Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified (John 7:37-39).
In these verses, Jesus gives a beautiful comparison to the flowing of living water as He describes His indwelling Holy Spirit flowing within us. Only His presence in us can quench the thirst God has baked into our souls.
If anyone is thirsty, come to Him.
David wrote in Psalm 63:1 of the longing in his soul for God in his thirsty soul. God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
Wise people saturate their minds with verses like these and allow truth to govern their choices.
Our Choices should be made out of our Fulness
To choose rightly, we must instinctively know the truth of our fullness in Christ.
Before my wife became my bride, she worked on the teller line at the bank where I worked. She learned to handle real money, to see it, feel it, and even smell it. The more experience she had with the authentic, the more equipped she became to recognize the fake.
The more we know the truth, the easier it will be to recognize lies and half-truths.
Consider Paul’s warning and action in the following verses: 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, 5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5).
Strongholds – a castle, a fortress built on long-term lies. When we agree with lies and even defend them, this gives legal ground for the enemy to set up fortifications in our soul.[2]
Imaginations – speculations, reasonings which are hostile to the Christian faith [3]
Captivity – bound and led away [4]
Our adversary is always trying to deceive us with lies about God’s love for us. It’s his M.O.
But as mentioned in the above verses, our weapons of God’s word, and prayer are divinely powerful to destroy these strongholds and imaginations raised up against the truths of God.
We must fight. Not by wrestling with untrue thoughts, but by swiftly bringing them into captivity in submission to Christ. In His name, we have all authority to destroy these evil lies and send the enemy packing.
Prayer
O Lord, gratitude fills my heart. You are my value. I am completely accomplished, filled to overflowing in You. Please help me detect lies embedded in our society and supported by our adversary. I ask You to keep me saturated in Your word. May I quickly call upon Your powerful name every time these lies are revealed. Guide me into speaking Your words and serving in Your strength, I pray, all for Your glory.
I love You,
Amen
Reflections
As time goes on, my fear of failure is becoming a thing of the past.
I’m realizing there are two powerfully beautiful realities which arise out of living out the truth that I’m filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ Jesus.
First, in Christ, my value is set. I never have to worry about how the world sees my accomplishments. Being filled by Him, there’s really no room for anything else. 😎
Secondly, being filled to overflowing with Christ means, if I yield to Him, His Spirit in me is what flows. Loving folks with His overflowing love is eternally better than what squeezes out from my self powered striving. 😑
[1] Blue Letter Bible, “Strong’s G4137—plēroō” Blue Letter Bible lexicon entry.
[2] Blue Letter Bible, “Strong’s G3794—ochyrōma,” Ibid
[3] Blue Letter Bible, “Strong’s G3053—logismos,”
[4] Blue Letter Bible, “Strong’s G163—aichmalōtizō,”
[5] Psalm 23:1
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all versions of the Bible are from the World English Bible (WEB). It’s a modern English translation based on the American Standard Version (1901), updated using the Hebrew and Greek texts. The WEB is in the public domain, so you may quote, copy, publish, and share it without requesting permission or paying royalties.
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Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.
Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:
Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness
Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man
Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love
Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend
Loving without Expecting Anything in Return
Like a Child: The Way Back to Wonder
Nonfiction books by the Author:
This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.
Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.
It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.
Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy
Novels by the Author:
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By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.