Keep Going!
Isa.35:3 “With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear,for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
God is thoroughly equipping us to banish, expel, get rid of, and to eradicate the fear of failing from our lives. Do not be casual about this season, there is nothing simple about God’s work in our lives. If we could achieve these things in our strength, God would not have sent us a Helper. The truth is you and I need help so please submit to the Holy Spirit.
A lot of the time, the factors that cause failure are totally out of our control. There are so many things that are out of our control. For Read the rest of this entry
Staying Power
Isa.60:1 “Arise, shine;For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you”
The only way to avoid failure is never to try. On this side of eternity, no one is perfect. To overcome the fear of failure you must understand that everybody fails. Jam.3:2 “We all stumble in many ways.” Did the Bible say a few of us, or the mediocre, or the less than perfect stumble? Not at all! The Bible says ALL stumble, including evangelists, business moguls, prophets, leaders, and pastors etcetera. The day you get that, you set yourself free.
Risk Taking
Prov. 13:4 “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” [NKJV, with emphasis]
Jesus is a Master of story telling. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us the story of a master that gave money to three of his servants while he was travelling. Two of the servants took a risk, invested the money and made more. The third servant was afraid of failing, so he did nothing. Matt.25:25-26 “…I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground . . . His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant!’” [with emphasis]. The master responded with strong but instructive words. When we do not push the envelop of our lives, God sees us as wicked and lazy. When we cave in because of the fear of failing, God says wicked and lazy. Read the rest of this entry
As God Sees
Matt.25:25-26 “So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground . . . His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant!’”
The truth is no matter how successful we are in some areas of life; we still struggle with the fear of failure in other areas of life. It is not uncommon to find someone that is successful in his finances being afraid for his marriage. Or someone that is successful in his marriage being afraid of failure in his career. Or someone that is successful in parenting being afraid of failing in the area of personal direction. The question is can we really be free from the fear of failure or is it something that we should accept as part of life?
Antidote II
Ps. 27:10 “Even if my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”
Most times, people that struggle with the pain of rejection, particularly from people they are most vulnerable to, start to think there is something wrong with them. If you are in this category then this message is for you. I am here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with you but something is wrong with them. It is possible that you have spent years trying to get your father’s approval. I am here to tell Read the rest of this entry
Antidote I
Isa.62:4 No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration [MSG]
When we look at life through the eyes of the “fear of rejection”, we are unable to see the hurt of others and so we miss opportunities to minister to people in need. Picture this, Sister A walks past Sister B in church and does not respond to her greeting. Sister B takes offense and throws a pity party in her heart – ‘how could she do that? No body likes me in this church! Look at her, who can even like someone with such a nose?’ As God would have it, they both boarded the same bus one day and Sister A greets Sister B so warmly and Read the rest of this entry
In Perspective
Isa.46:4 “I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”
I know what it is to be rejected so I have a soft spot for people that are going through rejection. You should too because even if you have not experienced it, the Bible says we ought to carry each other’s burdens. Sadly sometimes we are not empathetic. We have experienced help from God but we do not extend that same help to others. To banish the fear of rejection, I need to put God in first place, put people in their place, and put myself in the proper place.
Audience of One
Gal. 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” [with emphasis]
I choose a long time ago that only the approval of God will stand in my life. You cannot seek the approval of men and the approval of God at the sam
e time. What is it going to be – men or God? It is a choice you have to make, no one can do it for you. Choose to live your life for the audience of one – The One. Guess what? This One follows you everywhere. He is there with you when you are sitting at your desk, diving in your car, and surfing the Internet. The objective is not to scare you but for you to live for His approval.
Hiding Place
Isa. 51:12 “The Lord says, `I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortal man who is no more enduring than grass?'” [GN, with emphasis].
The first step in overcoming the fear of rejection is to put God in first place. The second step is to Put people in their place. Everyone in your life has a place. The key to peace of mind is to put people in their proper place. If you want to create confusion for your life, put your wife in your mother’s place or vice versa. You need to stop and realize that everybody has their place and then put everyone in their proper place.
Settle It!
Ps. 119:39-42 “Save me from the insults I fear . . . I want to obey Your commands . . . . Show me how much You love me, Lord. Then I can answer those who insult me.” [GN, with emphasis]
The Psalmist here is saying if God loves me, I can handle anything and anyone. The Psalmist was being vulnerable to God and owning up his struggles with approval addiction and the opinions of men. He was admitting that deep down he is afraid of what people really think. But he is saying, Lord if you will show me how much you love me all that will mean nothing. A major key to a wholesome life is being secure in God’s love.
